While the weather is still pleasant to be outside, taking steps to winterize your home means you’ll enjoy more indoor comfort this winter, and it won’t cost as much to heat. Sealing the air leaks and servicing your heating system will lower your heating load.
Air leaks
Leaks around windows and exterior doors allow warm air to escape your home. The good news is that they’re relatively easy to detect and seal. Visually inspecting the window frames and sealing the leaks with exterior caulk will stop the air infiltration. Applying fresh weatherstripping stops drafts coming in around doors. If there’s a gap at the bottom, consider a door sweep or using draft blockers to curb cold air infiltration.
Make sure the fireplace damper sits tight inside the chimney. When the wind blows, a loose or open damper pulls a lot of heated air from your home. Pipes, wires and cables through exterior walls can also be a source of air leaks. Check the vent for your dryer and seal any cracks or gaps around it with expanding foam.
Check the attic during the day. If you see any light coming from the roof, you may have holes around chimneys, vents or flues. Use metal flashing for the chimney and flues or choose fireproof sealants.
Heating system maintenance
Check the air filter for the furnace blower. If it’s dirty, replace or clean it. If your heating system uses gas or oil, it’s important for an HVAC technician to inspect it annually to clean away combustion deposits and adjust the airflow for combustion. As part of maintenance, technicians also will inspect and seal your ducts. Loose ducts bring dust and dirt into your rooms and can contribute to a build-up of carbon monoxide inside your home. Conditioned air escaping through leaky ducts can raise your energy bills by 30 percent or more.
If you’d like help as you winterize your home, please contact us at Mowery Heating, Air Conditioning and Plumbing. We’ve provided HVAC and plumbing services in the Indianapolis area for more than 40 years, and our technicians have earned NATE certification, the highest distinction in the industry.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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