31 Dec 2017

10 Tips to Winterize Your Home

Winterize HomeAlpharetta, GA – December 22 was the first official day of winter. Is your home ready? You can save time and money by ensuring your home is prepared for the dropping temperatures. Phil Montgomery of Atlanta Heating and Air Conditioning offers his top tips on winterizing your home.

  1. Change your air filters. You may not think you need to change your filters as often in the winter, but if you are running your heat regularly, changing your filters often will ensure you are breathing in clean air and lower the workload for your unit. Dirty filters are harder to push clean air through, making your unit work harder.
  2. Run your fans in reverse. Your ceiling fans can be very useful in the winter by reversing the direction they run. Warm air rises, but by reversing your fans to run clockwise, you can push that warm air back down to circulate in the room.
  3. Make sure your AC unit is ready to brace the winter. Drain hoses and pipes, and check for excess water pooled in your unit. If you have a water shutoff, you can turn it off. If your home has window units, remove those so you can ensure no cold drafts make their way in.
  4. Check for drafts. Do you have doors or windows to the outside that let in cool drafts? Use a rolled up bath towel or blanket to seal them up.
  5. Make sure your heating unit is ready. When was the last time you scheduled maintenance for your HVAC unit? Schedule an appointment now so you can address any issues there may be before you’re left out in the cold.
  6. Check your caulking and weatherstripping. This is a quick and easy fix, but can prevent cool air from drifting in. Check our windows and doors to ensure caulk and weatherstripping is in good condition.
  7. Make sure your insulation is adequate and in good shape. Don’t heat your home just to have that warm air escape due to poor insulation.
  8. Ensure your ducts are properly sealed. Studies show that as much as 30% of heated or cooled air escapes through improperly sealed ducts. Schedule an appointment with Atlanta Heating and Air Conditioning today to check the condition of your ductwork.
  9. Check your fireplace before using it. Nests and debris that have found their way near your fireplace can be hazardous, so have your fireplace and chimney checked before you make your first fire.
  10. Upgrade your thermostat. A programmable thermostat will allow you to monitor and program your home’s temperature, even when you aren’t there, allowing you to make sure you aren’t running your unit when you aren’t there.

If you have questions about how to properly winterize your home, call the experts at Atlanta Heating and Air Conditioning today at 404-942-9779.

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