As winter comes around, a lot of us change our clothing, our travel plans, and several other aspects of our life. This seasonal change should extend to our homes as well. Weatherizing refers to making adjustments to your home and its HVAC systems to ensure that your abode is at the optimal temperature throughout the year. Weatherizing your home for winter is essential to keep it warm and energy-efficient while also saving you money. Read on to learn more about how you can get started.
For more information on weatherizing your home for winter or to schedule HVAC maintenance to help prepare your home for the upcoming season, contact the heating and air conditioning experts at Galmiche & Sons in St. Louis.
Weatherizing Your Home for Winter: Tips and Hacks
The following are some key tips you can follow to help prepare your home for winter and improve efficiency and HVAC performance.
- Adding insulation: Just like we pour our hot coffee into our insulated cups to keep it warm throughout the day, we also need to insulate our homes in the winter to keep the heat inside. Research indicates that a majority of the homes in the U.S. are under-insulated, which means energy wastage and also expensive bills. As heat rises up, it is important to ensure proper home insulation in your attic and walls to stop the heat from leaving your living spaces.
- Sealing doors and windows: One of the best ways to weatherize your home for winter is to seal the leaks around windows and doors. To do so, you can either use caulking or weather stripping. Caulking can be used to seal up still parts, like the cracks around window frames, and weather stripping can be used on moving parts, like windows and doors. A lot of people prefer DIY-ing this process. Additionally, if you have an HVAC unit with ductwork, you are most likely losing a lot of heat because of the holes and leaks found inside them. Insulating and sealing up your ductwork can conserve a lot of energy.
- Adjust thermostats: Setting your thermostat appropriately for winter is an important step. You can weatherize your home for winter and conserve energy simply by using a programmable thermostat or keeping it in the 68-degree range during winter.
- Check the water heater: Another tip is to check for leaks or damages in your water heater system. These need to be repaired before winter comes. Insulate your water heater and the hot water pipes to optimize your energy savings.
- Plan ahead for winter weather: Lastly, planning ahead is of utmost importance. HVAC companies can be busy during the coldest time of the year, so you may have to wait if you try to get your HVAC work done right in the middle of winter. Additionally, tasks for weatherizing your home for winter, such as adding insulation or getting maintenance done for your HVAC systems, can take quite a bit of time. So, plan ahead to know that you will be comfortable and relaxed come wintertime.
Schedule Top-Notch HVAC Maintenance with Galmiche & Sons
Be it winter or summer, a well-functioning HVAC system is of utmost importance. If you are looking to install a new unit or get maintenance work done for your old one, Galmiche & Sons is here for you. We have serviced many homes throughout the St. Louis area over the last few decades and guarantee a job well done. Get in touch with our professionals today to schedule your heating and air conditioning service!
