The uncertain weather that's occurring in all seasons and in all climates calls for more weather preparedness than ever. In our climate, winter can be cold, with occasional subfreezing temperatures and storms, so it's always best to be ready. Furthermore, we want to make sure we are as prepared as we can be for the kind of catastrophic cold weather that paralyzed us early in the year with the polar vortex. According to weather predictors, we may be in for more of these events, so it should be standard operating procedure to winterize your home every fall. Here are some steps you can take to do just that.
Get your rain gutters ready. Make sure rain gutters are free of leaves and debris, even if they are covered. Also, make sure the segments are connected and there are no leaks so rainwater can flow through.
Air seal your home. Go around your home with a lit incense stick. Hold it in front of baseboards, around door and window frames, under recessed lighting, in front of electrical outlets, and in front of any hole in an exterior wall that accommodates a cable, wires, or pipes. If the smoke wavers, you have an air leak and you're losing warm air — or conditioned air may be intruding. Plug the holes with caulk, weatherstripping, or insulation to help winterize your home.
Install a programmable or Wi-Fi thermostat. These thermostats are a better way to program the temperature in your home so you can save on energy. Set the thermostat a little lower during winter when you're sleeping or away from home during the day. Set it to rise again during the hours when you're up and moving around in the morning or when you come home from work.
Bring container plants indoors. Start getting your container plants acclimated to the indoors before the temperature drops to freezing. If the container is lightweight enough that you can move it, bring it in at night and then put it back outside in the morning for a couple of weeks. Then move the plants inside permanently as a final step as you winterize your home.
For more on how to winterize your home, contact Air Assurance of Broken Arrow.
You may not think about your home's ductwork often since it's hidden from sight, but deficiencies in this critical HVAC system component can erode your comfort. If ducts aren't properly sealed and insulated, up to 40 percent of the system's conditioned air output can escape before it reaches the registers. Duct sealing can solve this problem and prevent other serious issues as well.
Benefits of Professional Duct Sealing
When you hire an experienced professional, you'll have peace of mind that the air ducts in your home are thoroughly inspected and any damaged or disconnected sections are repaired. A pro seals the seams with fiberglass mesh and mastic and then wraps the ducts with R-8 insulation. Taking these steps is especially important in hard-to-access areas like the attic, garage, and crawl space where air losses often occur. Some of the major benefits you'll gain from the process include:
Greater comfort — When duct deficiencies are corrected, conditioned airflow from the registers improves. You'll experience fewer hot and cold spots in different rooms, and you'll find it easier to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the house.
Lower energy bills — Heating and cooling devours roughly 45 percent of the energy used in your home each year. Reducing air leakage in the duct system by 30 percent can result in energy savings of up to 16 percent and help curb high yearly heating and cooling costs.
Better indoor air quality— When the ducts are properly sealed, unhealthy contaminants can't enter the air supply from the attic, wall cavities, or other unconditioned spaces.
Enhanced safety — Eliminating leaks in the duct system lowers the risk of carbon monoxide exposure from a back-drafting gas water heater or furnace.
Longer equipment life span— Compensating for air leakage puts added strain on the HVAC equipment, which can shorten its service life. Sealing and insulating ducts reduces this unnecessary wear and tear, and it also helps keep out debris that can build up on sensitive components and cause a premature failure.
To learn more about the many benefits of duct sealing, contact the Broken Arrow HVAC pros at Air Assurance today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Lopolo/Shutterstock”
