Make Sure Your Home Is Sealed Up For Winter With These 2 Tips
Spring is around the corner but winter is still here, and if you live in a northern state, you may have winter longer than just a few weeks. No matter where you live, you need to make sure your home is sealed up tight to keep your electricity bills down and to keep you and your family comfortable. Below are two tips on how to do this to help you get started.
Add Insulation
Besides making sure there is enough insulation in your walls, there are other things you can insulate. For example, switch plates can be a source of air leaks. To take care of this you can insulate them. Inexpensive foam sealing gaskets work well for this. Your hot water can also be insulated. You can do this by purchasing an insulating blanket specifically for this purpose. You can find both products at home improvement stores.
If your home has a fireplace, cold air can get into your home from the chimney. To take care of this, use a piece of insulation and place it behind the glass doors to block the air from getting into your home.
You should also make sure there is enough insulation in the attic, since if there is not enough, a lot of air can escape your home. If you are not sure if you have enough insulation, hire a contractor to check this insulation for you and add more, if needed.
Check the Heating and Cooling System
Hire an HVAC technician to maintain your unit if you have not done so already. This is especially true if your home is not as warm as it once was. The last thing you want to have happen is to walk into your home and have no heat at all. The technician will check many things. For example, they will open the unit to check the inside components, such as the evaporator coil, condenser, and fan. They will also check your air filter to ensure you are changing it properly.
The HVAC technician will turn on the unit and check how much air is coming out of the vents. They do this by using a special tool. This tells them if there are any leaks in the duct system. If they suspect there are leaks, they will inspect the ducts and repair or replace them.
Doing these two things will give you peace of mind knowing you will be comfortable in your home no matter what the temperature is outside.
