How to get Your Home Ready for the Winter Months | Eco Tips to Save Energy -

Get your Home Ready for Winter, Winter Tips for your House

Have you never heard of Fall Cleaning but heard about it? Spring cleaning" all the time? When winter comes, more time is spent indoors, and more entertaining is every day. It seems the perfect time of year to be sure your home is cozy, clean, dust-free, winterized, and buttoned up. Here's an excellent checklist to help ensure this season's winter weather and cold air stay outside.

Essential Items for Your Furnace 

• Move materials away from the furnace, especially flammable materials. Never store it around the stove or the water heater. A flair-up can burn your home down.
• Check your pilot light. If it is not lit, follow the instructions for relighting, typically printed on the access door. Call a qualified heating contractor for help if you have any difficulty.
• Vacuum out any dust or debris in and around the unit, especially the blower. Replace the filter if needed. Change the filter once a month and have the furnace cleaned once a year. 
• Check the flue for gaps or dents, and make sure it is venting properly to the outdoors. Just check it out and make sure it looks normal.
• We recommend that you have your furnace professionally inspected yearly by a qualified professional.

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Things Around Your House

• Set your programmable thermostat for winter. Have the heat come on before you wake up, turn it down a little lower while at work, and then heat up again before you get home. 
• Create a clear area around the heat registers by moving furniture, etc. Vacuum out all of the dust in the records. They collect dust and dander that will be blown into your air.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Be sure to keep extra batteries on hand.
• Check that your fire extinguisher is fully charged; replace if needed.
• Check windows and doors for drafts, and install weather stripping where it is. Is needed. Ensure they are shut all the way and locked for a better seal. 
• Check your fireplace for soot or creosote build-up. Schedule a visit from a reputable chimney sweep.

Outside of Your Home

• Weather permitting, clear downspouts and gutters, and visually inspect the roof. Always keep yourself and any tool or equipment you use at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines.
• Shut off valves to outdoor faucets. Open spigots and drain and store hoses. DO NOT LEAVE HOSES HOOKED UP IN THE WINTER! They will freeze your faucet, and it will break for sure!
• Take advantage of the sun's warmth; trim back bushes and trees around your windows. Mow the lawn and put away planters.

Remember that Xcel Energy has cold weather rebates to help you keep your house warm this winter? 

How to Find a Furnace Filter

1. Do I prefer a disposable filter that I can easily swap out each month, or am I OK with washing my filter every two to three months?
2. Does anyone living in my home have health issues that could be improved by cleaner air?

Disposable filters are more effective at filtering small particles from the air; washable filters cost less over time.

Ready to find your dream home in Colorado?
Let us help you. Call or Text Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 to get personalized assistance from our expert real estate agents. Find out what your home is worth in today's market.

Spun Fiberglass Filters are Cheap and disposable. It probably will only filter out a few finer particles.

Low and Mid-efficiency Pleated Filters are Less cheap but still disposable. Pleated air filters hold on tighter to dust particles and can add unwanted resistance to airflow. Disposable filters are more effective at filtering small particles from the air; washable filters cost less over time.

Electrostatic Filters They have high filtration rates. If your household includes smokers and people with allergies, you may prefer to use the disposable type of filter.

High-efficiency Pleated Filters: These are the most expensive filters and will provide four to eight times the filtering capability of the spun fiberglass filters. These may be very helpful for those with respiratory problems or low-immunity disorders.

High-efficiency Pleated Filters:  The most expensive filter will provide four to eight times the filtering capability of spun fiberglass filters. These may be very helpful for those with respiratory problems or low-immunity disorders.