Winterizing Your Home
When fall arrives (in Oregon it’s often signalled by a lot of rain) it’s good to start planning for winter. Here are some great tips for preparing your home this winter season.
Change furnace filters on a monthly basis.
Winterize air conditioning and outdoor water lines. Drain and store hoses, cap with faucets with styrofoam caps.
Turn down your water heater. Lowering the temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (or lower) would reduce your water heating costs by 6 to 10 percent. Or swap my favorite a tankless, on demand water heater.
Block drafts around doors and windows.
Install storm doors and windows.
Schedule a tuneup for your furnace.
Program your thermostat to keep it warm when people are home and turned down when they are away.
Try plastic window insulation kit to keep out drafts, they are practically invisible. For a permanent seal on drafty corners, cracks, seal up leaks with caulking and weatherstripping.
Insulate your pipes with pipe foam to keep water warm and prevent frozen pipes.
Take advantage of Oregon tax credits for making your home energy efficient. Many credits are expiring at the end of 2017 so find out what you may quality for.
Source: Popular Mechanics, oregon.gov
Many of the energy efficient tips will help you sell your home too as home buyers are wanting to discover that the home they are purchasing has been well cared for during inspections.