Energy Tips
Here's some tips that can make your winter season more pleasant, and can save you a bunch of money too!
Do You Heat Your Home With a Hot Water or Steam Boiler?
Hire a professional for annual maintenance including flue cleaning, a fuel-filter change, cleaning and adjustment of the jets.
Clean your baseboard heating to allow for the best airflow. Be careful, the fins can be very sharp.
Arrange for service calls before the start of heating and cooling season to get better attention and have more flexibility when scheduling appointments.
Inspect your boiler for evidence of water leaks.
Install a timed thermostat, and set your thermostat to lower the heat at night and when the house is unoccupied in the daytime.
Ensure the area around your boiler is clear of debris and obstructions.
Do You Heat With Forced Air?
Check furnace switch, fuse and breakers.
Check furnace blowers, oiling motor and changing belt if necessary.
Check thermostat accuracy by taping thermometer to wall next to it. If there's a discrepancy, have a serviceman re-calibrate unit.
Install a timed thermostat, and set your thermostat to lower the heat at night and when the house is unoccupied in the daytime.
Clean the furnace filter at least once a month.
Ensure the area around your furnace is clear of debris and obstructions.
If you can isolate rooms in your house, don't heat rooms you don't use. (Forced-air and electric heat)
Do You Have A Fireplace?
Have your wood burning fireplaces and stoves inspected annually and cleaned and repaired as required to prevent chimney fires, carbon monoxide poisoning and mortar and flashing failure.
Water leaks can also cause your mortar to deteriorate prematurely. Consider installing a chimney cap to protect your chimney from water, debris, and critters.
To save big on your heating bill, consider converting your standard fireplace to one that draws its combustion air from outside the house.
Remember to close your chimney flue after the fire goes out.
INSULATE, INSULATE, INSULATE!
Check your attic for insulation. Do you have enough? Poor insulation in the attic can be the source of unwanted heat in the summer as well as rapid heat loss in the winter.
Insulate hot water pipes and ducts wherever they run through unheated areas.
Open your curtains on the sunny side of the house, and close them on the shady side.
Check window and outside door seals for drafts. Replace deteriorated weather-stripping with new
LIGHTING
Survey your incandescent lights and replace them with compact fluorescents. These bulbs can save up to 3/4 of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs. Which ones to choose? Go for the 60-100W bulbs that you use several hours each day.
OTHER IDEAS
Use kitchen and bath vent fans wisely; if left running, they can exhaust a houseful of hot air in as little as one hour.
Check exterior walls for cracks or holes. Use caulk to seal around exhaust vents and pipe penetrations.
Remove window air conditioners to reduce drafts.
Outside faucets: Make sure they are turned off at the inside shut-off, and that the outside faucet is open and the pipe drained.
