{"id":25798,"date":"2011-10-27T07:57:22","date_gmt":"2011-10-27T11:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=25798"},"modified":"2011-10-27T07:57:22","modified_gmt":"2011-10-27T11:57:22","slug":"preparing-your-house-for-winter-saving-money-29-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/preparing-your-house-for-winter-saving-money-29-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing Your House for Winter & Saving Money (29 Tips)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winter is coming quick and, unfortunately, it’s time to prepare for cold, wet, and more cold. But don’t overthink it, preparing your home for winter is simply a step to saving money, not to mention keeping coal<\/a> from being burnt for energy. No matter how old, drafty, or even new and well-insulated a house is, things can always be done to save more energy.<\/p>\n

\"winterize<\/a><\/p>\n

FrugalDad<\/strong> just has an old, but great, post on winterizing your home<\/a> that I’m reposting below. Check out these great tips:<\/p>\n

Indoor Winterizing Tasks<\/h3>\n

1.\u00a0 Have chimneys cleaned and inspected<\/strong>.\u00a0 Blockages and buildup in chimneys can lead to dangerous conditions such as fires and inadequate ventilation.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 Consider a thermal insulating blanket for your hot water heater<\/strong>.\u00a0 Hot water heaters are often the least-efficient appliance in your home.\u00a0 This is especially true if your tank is store in an outdoor storage room or garage (as ours is).\u00a0 When temperatures drop the tank has to work extra hard to keep the contents warm.\u00a0 Consider adding a thermal insulating blanket for your hot water heat to insulate the water from surrounding temperatures.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 If your windows are not made of newer insulated glass, consider installing storm windows<\/strong>.\u00a0 New, energy-efficient windows often two layers of glass with insulating air in between.\u00a0 Older, single-pane models allow cold air to more easily seep in and make rooms cooler. * If you are on a tight budget, and let’s face it, 99% of us are, check out Window Film, it’s an easy do it yourself project and it saves you some serious money, for more info and instructions on installing it go here.<\/a><\/p>\n

4. <\/strong>Add insulation to attics and crawlspaces<\/strong>.\u00a0 Inadequate insulation in attics allows heat to rise up and out of your home, forcing heating systems to work harder to keep your home warm.<\/p>\n

5. <\/strong>Install a programmable thermostat<\/strong>. Programmable thermostats allow you to automatically create a heating\/cooling schedule for your home.\u00a0 At night you can allow inside temperatures to drop down a bit, but warm things up just before the alarm clock goes off. Similarly, you can allow the temperatures to drop inside your hours when it is empty during the day, but warm things up before you arrive home from work. Here are some thoughts on the ideal thermostat setting<\/strong> for winter.<\/p>\n

6. <\/strong>Arrange for a professional inspection of your furnace<\/strong>.\u00a0 Just like automobiles require periodic maintenance, furnaces require servicing by a professional.\u00a0 It\u2019s worth the cost of a service call.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 If you vacation during the winter months, leave your heat on and set it to 55 degrees<\/strong>.\u00a0 This will help reduce the chance of interior pipes freezing.<\/p>\n

8.<\/strong> Install a carbon monoxide detector<\/strong>.\u00a0 Gas-log fireplaces and furnaces can give off toxic carbon monoxide gases.\u00a0 Follow manufacturer recommendations on placement of monitoring device.<\/p>\n

9. <\/strong>Install fresh batteries in all smoke alarms<\/strong>.\u00a0 We change the batteries in our smoke alarms twice a year, around daylight savings time changes.\u00a0 It\u2019s a good idea to periodically test alarms to be sure batteries are still working properly.<\/p>\n

10.\u00a0 Inspect fire extinguishers and recharge if necessary<\/strong>.\u00a0 Replace any extinguishers older than ten years.<\/p>\n

11. <\/strong>Insulate water pipes that may be exposed to freezing temperatures<\/strong>.\u00a0 If water in pipes freeze, chances are the expansion will cause them to burst and you\u2019ll be stuck with a huge bill from a plumber.<\/p>\n

Outdoor Winterizing Tasks<\/h3>\n

12.\u00a0 Caulk around windows to prevent cold air from seeping in around cracks<\/strong>.\u00a0 If you are not sure your windows needed additional caulking, try the candle trick.\u00a0 On a windy day, light a candle and place it near your window with indoor cooling\/heating systems turned off.\u00a0 If the flame flickers when a gust of wind picks up it is an indication air is seeping around your windows.<\/p>\n

13. <\/strong>Clean gutters. <\/strong>A clogged gutter can lead to a flooded basement when snow melts and the water has no where to run off.<\/p>\n

14. <\/strong>Drain garden hoses and turn off any outdoor water faucets<\/strong>.\u00a0 Remove nozzles or sprayers from the end of garden hoses and be sure to drain any water left in the line.<\/p>\n

15. <\/strong>Add some antifreeze to the base of portable basketball goals filled with water<\/strong>.\u00a0 During winter months the water in the goal\u2019s base can freeze and expand, cracking the base.\u00a0 Purchase a brand of antifreeze that is safe for kids and animals just in case.<\/p>\n

16. <\/strong>Inspect driveways and pathways<\/strong>.\u00a0 Patch cracks with a cement or asphalt kit to prevent water from entering the cracks, freezing, expanding and creating even larger cracks.<\/p>\n

17. <\/strong>Make sure you have a snow shovel<\/strong>, <\/strong>rock salt, sand and other tools for dealing with snow and ice on your property.<\/p>\n

18. <\/strong>Stock up on firewood<\/strong>.\u00a0 Store it at least 50 feet away from your home to prevent fire and termites from coming too close to your home.<\/p>\n

19. <\/strong>Bleed the valves on any hot-water radiators<\/strong>.\u00a0 Open slightly until water appears and close again.<\/p>\n

20. <\/strong>Be sure there are no flammable materials stored close to your furnace<\/strong>.\u00a0 This one seems obvious, but many fires are started during the winter months because of flammable items being stored too close to furnaces.<\/p>\n

21. <\/strong>Inspect fireplace damper to make sure it is opening and closing properly<\/strong>.\u00a0 One year, in our old home, the damper wasn\u2019t opening properly, but we did not discover it until we lit a fire and the living room filled with smoke.<\/p>\n

22. <\/strong>If you installed summer screens on doors and windows, replace them with the glass equivalents stored during the summer<\/strong>.\u00a0 Adding the extra pane of glass back to storm doors will ad a layer of insulation against colder temperatures.<\/p>\n

23. <\/strong>Drain gas from lawnmower and store for the winter<\/strong>.\u00a0 It\u2019s also a good idea to store the lawnmower or tractor indoors during extremely cold temperatures.<\/p>\n

24. <\/strong>Consider a tune-up on snow blowers and other snow removal equipment<\/strong>.\u00a0 A little preventive maintenance goes a long way for winter equipment.<\/p>\n

25. <\/strong>Apply sealant to decks. <\/strong>Sealant helps prevent wood damage from extreme freezing\/thawing cycles.<\/p>\n

26.\u00a0 Move potted plants inside, or closer to the home to prevent damage from freezing temperatures<\/strong>. The temperature near your home\u2019s exterior walls will be a little warmer than out further in your yard.\u00a0 It also helps to cover outdoor plants with a sheet to insulate them from sub-freezing temperatures.<\/p>\n

27. <\/strong>Clean patio furniture and store it away from winter<\/strong>.\u00a0 In some areas winter storms are often accompanied by high winds.\u00a0 During these storms, outdoor furniture can be scattered about your yard (and your neighbor\u2019s yard).\u00a0 Since you won\u2019t likely be using it, look for a place to store it until spring.<\/p>\n

28. <\/strong>Check with manufacturer to determine if spare refrigerators or freezers stored in unheated garages are safe to operate at extremely cold temperatures<\/strong>.\u00a0 Extra refrigerators and freezers are great for stockpiling grocery deals, but if the temperature drops below the inside setting of your refrigerator or freezer it can cause the unit to operate inefficiently.<\/p>\n

29. <\/strong>Seal areas around dryer vents, cable outlets and mail chutes with a caulking gun.<\/strong> Look for cracks or holes around outdoor fixtures such as vents and outlets as these spaces allow cold air from outside to enter your wall space and make indoor heating less effective.<\/p>\n

Snow-covered home<\/a> via shuttershock<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winter is coming quick and, unfortunately, it’s time to prepare for cold, wet, and more cold. But don’t overthink it, preparing your home for winter is simply a step to saving money, not to mention keeping coal from being burnt for energy. No matter how old, drafty, or even new and well-insulated a house is, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,13,51,22],"tags":[11970,14388,17071,17466,28974,30823,31958,33374,34376,34950,37675,37841,38384],"spectra_custom_meta":{"_rpuplugin_enabled":["yes"],"_aioseop_description":["But don't over think it, preparing your home for winter is simply a step to saving money, not to mention keeping coal from being burnt for energy. "],"_aioseop_title":["Preparing your home for winter"],"dsq_thread_id":["507489324"],"_oembed_f14913bdfe741d3a3b7c287fcf68d7a8":["