The Ohio winter is fast approaching. Are you prepared for the dropping temperatures? There are a number of things you need to do to save energy and prevent damage. Here’s your guide to preparing for colder weather.
- Furnace maintenance. Before you turn on your furnace for the winter, it’s important to make sure everything is working the way it should. When you schedule your annual maintenance visit, your HVAC technician will check the motor and other internal components and make any necessary adjustments, rather than waiting for the parts to fail. They’ll also check your thermostat settings, airflow, and more to ensure your system is operating at peak efficiency.
- Pipe insulation. Any exposed pipes, both indoors and outdoors, are at risk if the temperature drops below freezing. If your pipes freeze, it can damage both them and the surrounding area, as water leaks out. Wrapping your pipes in insulation helps keep them from getting too cold. For outside pipes, turn off the water and drain them if you expect colder weather.
- Cleaning gutters. If dirt and fallen leaves are left in your gutters, water can pool up instead of draining out. If that water then freezes, it causes ice dams, which weigh the gutters down, potentially causing thousands of dollars in damage to both the gutters and the outside of your home. Get a ladder and clean out all of that debris so water can flow freely.
- Window and door sealing. The more cold air is allowed into your home, the more it undermines your HVAC system. Use weatherstripping to seal up windows, doors, and other places where air can flow in from the outside during colder weather. Also consider a home-energy audit to find any air leaks in your home, such as at the baseboards or behind light switches and wall sockets. Once you’ve located the leaks, you can get your HVAC technician to repair them to keep from wasting energy.
To ensure your home is prepared for colder weather, contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We keep Lorain, Elyria, and Oberlin homes comfortable and efficient all year long.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area