By Cathy Spaulding
That chill you felt through your house a couple of weeks ago should serve as a reminder: You’re not the only one who needs to bundle up as temperatures drop.
Your house needs to keep warm too. With adequate insulation, a clean air filter and sealed cracks, your house can help keep you warm and help you save energy costs as well.
One easy and important step in winterizing your home is to replace your vent filter — and do it soon.
“Definitely do it before winter,” said Rodney Palmer, owner of Rod’s Heating and Air.
Without a clean filter, it would take longer for the furnace to warm the air, he said.
Mark Brake, owner of Wright Home Services, said to be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions in changing filters and keep note of the model number.
Also, make sure you do not have a rusty heat exchange, Palmer said. He said rusty heat exchanges could be problems in older units that are 20 to 25 years old.
Another way to ward off winter chill is to seal off cracks in windows, doors and other areas where warm air may leak.
The OG&E; Web site advises replacing single pane windows with more energy efficient windows. However, the windows can be expensive.
Weather-stripping and caulking around window exteriors are effective ways to cut costs for people who cannot afford to replace single pane windows. The Oklahoma Natural Gas Web site says reducing air leaks could cut 10 percent from an average household’s monthly energy bill. The most common places air can escape in homes include plumbing penetrations, fans and vents, electrical outlets, doors, windows, fireplaces, ducts, even floors walls and ceilings, the Web site said.
Brake said people could buy adhesive weather-stripping to put around doors and windows.
“Your local hardware store could have weatherizing kits,” Brake said.
Nick Davis, operations manager at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse, said people can buy all sorts of weather-stripping for their homes. The store has patches and plugs that could keep air from escaping through electrical sockets or light switches, he said.
Adequate insulation also helps keep you and your house warm for less.
The OG&E; Web site said uninsulated water pipes waste energy while wrapping pipes in fiberglass or foam is easy and fairly inexpensive.
Davis said people should wrap exposed pipes under their homes.
And, don’t forget your attic.
Adding fiberglass insulation in your attic “ is one of the most cost-effective savings measures and one that you can do yourself,” the OG&E; Web site said.
Art Smith, owner of A & A Insulation & Seamless Guttering, said inadequate attic insulation could result in 75 to 80 percent heat loss. And most homes in Muskogee are underinsulated, he said.
Smith said people should look for a high R-factor, or thermal resistance factor.
“The higher the R-factor you have the greater your energy savings will be,” Smith said.
Davis said people can insulate their attic with fiberglass or with recycled natural fiber.
Even your water heater may need to keep warm.
“If your water heater is out in the garage, you may want a water heater blanket,” Davis said.
The U.S. Department of Energy said a precut water heater blanket or jacket, available for $10 to $20 could pay for itself within a year because of the savings that could result.
12 ways to save on winterizing
1. Seal cracks and gaps around windows and doors.
2. Put weather-stripping around your door and window frames where needed.
3. Make sure you have adequate insulation in your walls and your attic.
4. Update and replace furnace filters.
5. Close curtains when the sun goes down.
6. If you cannot get storm windows and doors apply specialized plastic coating to interior of the frame.
7. If you live in an older house with a stone or block foundation, or in a mobile home, cover your pipes.
8. Move your window unit air conditioner to the garage and attic, or cover it.
How to save this winter:
9. Keep thermostat to 68 degrees during the day and 55-60 degrees at night.
10. Check the caulking around exterior edges on your windows.
11. Turn the direction of heating vents from up to down because hot air always rises.
12. Change the direction of your ceiling fan so it can circulate warm air through the room.
SOURCES: MSN Shopping, www.doityourself.com, HGTV.com
