Even in Florida, winterizing your home is a good idea. Thankfully we don’t need to worry about pipes bursting due to arctic conditions, but saving money is always a great incentive to winterize. Here are a few winterizing tips:
Seal Your Windows
While the temps are still comfortable, check out where your home will be losing heat. Light a candle and take it over to your closed windows. Is the flame flickering? If it is, your windows are letting too much of the outdoors in. Jalousie windows are terrible leak culprits. It’s probably time to replace them.
If that’s not in your budget, you can use caulk or weatherstripping to seal around an ordinary window or use one of the many DIY sealing products on the market. However, unlike up north, there is the potential you’ll want to open your windows this winter. If that’s the case, don’t buy a product that completely seals your windows (like a shrink wrap plastic).
Change the Furnace Filter
Since you do this every month it’s hardly worth mentioning. Right? If not, do it now and your system will run more efficiently. Changing the filter regularly will also prolong the system’s life.
Tired of switching out your filter? Consider a permanent one.
Service Your System
You service your car before a long road trip. You should do the same for your furnace. Before things get cold and everyone is calling, have your routine maintenance performed now. It will give you peace of mind that your system’s running optimally.
You can also have your AC serviced. Many homeowners with ACs that have a water shut-off, turn that off. However, our winters are frequently punctuated with warm spells so that is probably not necessary in Florida.
Reverse your Ceiling Fans
Floridians understand the importance of a good fan, but did you know running the fan in reverse can recirculate warmer air in your home? Warm air rises and turning your fans on to operate in a clockwise rotation will send that warmer air back down to you. If you have high ceilings this is particularly helpful.
Take a Look at your Insulation
If your home is older than 5 years old, your insulation may no longer be sufficient. Go to the attic and measure its depth to ensure it is still doing its job.
Know Your Use
Penny pinchers pay for groceries in cash because they’re more aware of what they’re spending. The same goes for energy consumption. If you use an energy monitor to indicate household usage in real time, you are more apt to see ways you can cut energy waste.
Some local utility companies are making smart readers a part of their service. Find out if they’re available in your area.
Performing a couple of quick adjustments can save you money and time during the cold season. Have your heater checked and the necessary service performed before you need to pull out the blankets. Call the heating and AC repair professionals at Easy A/C today at 813-COLDAIR.