Cold Air is on the Way! Winterizing Tips for your Home

Monday, November 10, 2014 - 6:23pm

There is a massive Arctic air mass that is going to bring frigid air impacting 230 million people north and east of the Borderland. Our area will just catch the edge of this icy air, but Las Cruces should see the first freeze of the year Thursday morning and El Paso into the chilly upper 30's. This got me thinking about how I can keep warm and save on my heating bills. I did a little research and here are some tips I found and I thought I would share.

According to the U.S.. Department of Energy, drafts can waste 5% to 30% of your energy use. Start simple and adopt that old Great Depression fixture -- the draft snake, which you can easily make yourself. Just place a rolled bath towel under a drafty door, or make a more attractive DIY draft snake with crazy eyes, felt tongues and the like. You can use any scraps of fabric even old neckties and fill with sand or kitty litter for heft. Walk around your home on a chilly night and, using bare hands and feet, feel around your doors, windows, lights, and switch plates for cold air. If you detect cold air leaking in, this means that your warm air is going outside. You need to add insulation to these areas, or seal them using weather-stripping, caulk, or spray foam.

2. Install plastic film on all your windows

Install a plastic window installation film on all windows. This type of winterization is known as window insulation. When applied, the plastic film prevents cold air from entering a home while keeping heated air inside of the home. Plastic window insulation film is available at any major home improvement retail store. To install, clean the window, and measure its height and width. Add 2 inches to the window measurements, and tape the plastic film to the edges of the window frame. Use a hair dryer to secure the plastic film to the window glass, and carefully cut away the excess film from the window.

3. Reverse Your Ceiling Fan

Reverse the rotation of your ceiling fan blades from counterclockwise to clockwise; most ceiling fans have a switch for this. When a home heater is running, hot air rises and rests at the ceiling of the room. When you reverse the blade circulation of a ceiling fan, the fan blades force heated air down the walls and circulate heated air throughout the room, according to Dan's Fan City.

4. Check Your Furnace Filter

Before you start running your furnace, check the filter it may need to be replaced. If your furnace filter looks dirty, then definitely replace it. During the winter months, I change my furnace filter every 4 to 6 weeks. Having a clean filter helps your furnace run more efficiently, which can save you energy and money. According to Planet Green, a clean filter can save you 5% to 15% on your heating bill. Also if needed, consider upgrading your thermostat to a programmable thermostat. Installation is easy, and the ability to program your thermostat to only work when you need it can save more money on heating during the long winter months.

Read the original here:
Cold Air is on the Way! Winterizing Tips for your Home