Got chills? A few home heating fixes – simple things like closing the damper on a fireplace – can mean big savings. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)
Here are some fun facts to contemplate as colder weather looms this week (forecasts are always a moving target, but some call for a possible rain/snow mix in the wee hours this Friday for Colorado’s Front Range).
Guess the answers to all three questions correctly, or even close, and you’ll know that at least you’re not going uninformed into the heating season.
How much of the air leakage in your home can come from small openings: leaks in doors, windows, fireplaces?
(Up to 35 percent, or roughly a third).
How much can you save on your energy bill by lowering your thermostat by a single degree when the heat’s on?
(3 percent)
What’s the average annual energy expenditure per person in the U.S.?
($3,460)
That’s all according to the U.S. Department of Energy, via RedBeacon, a website that matches homeowners with service people such as plumbers. But informed doesn’t necessarily mean prepared, and taking a quiz online doesn’t mean your house is ready for cold weather. Sorry: You’ve got to put on your big-person work gloves.
Here are some of RedBeacon’s additional tips for meeting fall and winter weather:
- Check window seals, and weatherstrip or caulk anywhere the air can get in or where windows are loose.
- Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans. Clockwise rotation means the warm air near your ceilings gets pushed down into your living spaces. This is particularly important for homes with very high ceilings.
- If you’re not using your fireplace/chimney, keep your damper closed. Leaving it open is equivalent to leaving a window wide open.
- Reinsulate the attic. This keeps heat where it should be – where you live – and not where it shouldn’t. in your attic. A too-warm attic can melt the snow and ice on your roof only to have it refreeze in a gutter, which can push water under your eaves and onto your walls.
And don’t forget these outdoor chores:
- Cut down or prune back branches that have grown out and over your roof before they break and crack off, or blow about in downslope winds, scraping the roof.
- Add mulch! Organic mulch breaks down and compacts over time, losing its weed-fighting and weather-insulating capabilities. Even gravel mulch can get scattered around.
- Set a time to clean gutters after the last leaves fall – or even sooner if think they may be clogged.
- Don’t forget the annual sprinkler-system blowout. If you don’t have an appointment for this, get one now.
- Finally: Change your furnace filter and get that monster checked out by a pro. Then check the batteries in your smoke detectors.
