Winter Weatherize Your Home

By Elif Kaynak With gas prices rising and temperatures dropping, now is a better time than ever to reevaluate the way you heat and insulate your home. We’ve compiled some convenient tips to weatherize your home and keep the earth – and your pockets – green this winter. Look for Leaks Between 15 to 35 percent of winter heat loss is caused by cold air leaking in and hot air leaking out of your house. To find out where your house is leaking air, take lit match and hold it in front of a window. If the smoke from the match drifts, then you have a leak. Repeat this process on all of the other doors and windows in your home. Seal gaps with caulking and weather stripping, which can be purchased at your local hardware store. Draft snakes are also handy for cutting down on drafts. To save money, you can make one yourself using fabric, dried beans and your sewing skills! If you don’t have sewing skills then don’t worry, you can purchase one for under $20 (http://www.amazon.com/Gaiam-Draft-Dodge-Sapphire-Blue/dp/B0009LDA3E/ref=tag_tdp_sv_edpp_i). Go Plastic on Your Windows Window insulation not only keeps the heat in your house, but also keeps drafts out. Installing this “invisible” plastic to your windows is easy and inexpensive and kits are readily available at your local hardware store. Lower That Thermostat You can save as much as three percent of your heating bill for every degree you lower your thermostat. Consider lowering your thermostat by a few degrees in the evening, and then turn it up again when you wake in the morning. Programmable thermostats, available for as little as $50, add a new level of convenience to this otherwise forgettable task. Don’t Forget Your Furnace Filters Clean or replace your furnace filters once a month, as a dirty filter makes your furnace less efficient. An easy way to remember to do this is to mark your calendar. Better yet, switch to a permanent filter that you won’t have to keep changing, which will reduce time and money in the long haul. Reverse Your Ceiling Fan To put a new spin on things, use the often under-used reverse switch on your ceiling fan. The fan’s clockwise rotation creates an updraft, which forces the warmer air aloft down into your living space. Making this insignificant change will diminish your need to use a boiler and can cut your heating costs by up to 10 percent! Watch Your Water Heater Turning down the dial on your water heater can save you a bundle and you won’t even notice the change! Many household water heaters are installed with the set temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Most waters heaters function perfectly when set at 120° or 115°F. Change your setting and you can save as much as six to ten percent of related energy costs! Install Storm Doors and Windows By installing a storm door, households can increase their energy efficiency by as much as 45 percent. Similarly, storm windows cut down on drafts and airflow. Wrap Up One of the easiest ways to cut down on energy costs is to turn down the thermostat and put on the sweater that grandma made for you (or that hoodie that you took from your boyfriend)! A long-sleeved sweater adds two degrees of warmth, while a heavy sweater adds about 4 degrees. Insulate Did you know that up to 45% of the heat produced in your home is lost through the walls? Make sure that your walls are properly insulated to reduce your heating bills and lower the wear and tear on your boiler. Add more insulation in between walls, and double-check to see if your attic floor and basement ceiling are covered well. Check to see if your pipes need insulating by touching them – if they’re warm to the touch, then you should considering insulating them with pre-slit pipe foam available at most hardware stores.