Advice from a Heating and Air Conditioning Service in Central Kansas: Seven Tips to Winterize Your Home

Winter will be here before you know it, so make sure to winterize your home before freezing temperatures, high winds, rain and snow arrive in full force. Are you ready to stay warm and toasty this winter without skyrocketing energy use? Here are seven tips from a heating and air conditioning service in Central Kansas to help winterize your home:

• Inspect the furnace: There are a few steps you need to take before turning your furnace back on this fall season. First, inspect gas piping and connectors, then check for the presence of carbon monoxide. Clean the air filter, motor and fan and make sure the blower is functioning. Should you suspect a problem with your furnace, don’t attempt to turn it on. Instead, call a professional to inspect it.
• Seal air leaks: You will keep the warm air inside and save energy by not having to run the heater constantly when you seal up any air leaks in your home. Typically, air leaks are found around windows and doors—you are likely to feel a cold draft in areas where there are leaks. Locate the source and seal it up with new weather stripping, caulking or even spray foam insulation.
• Protect the air conditioner: Because you are not going to use your air conditioner during the winter months, it’s good idea to winterize it so it functions properly come summer. Identify air conditioner hoses and drain them to keep them from freezing, and check for pooling water near the unit. Then, secure an appropriate cover over the unit to protect it from rusting or damage due to rain, snow and debris.
• Check the chimney: Using the fireplace is a great way to give your heating system a rest, but make sure you get it cleaned and inspected ahead of winter. Also, damage inside or outside can render your chimney unsafe. Check for damage to avoid problems.
• Trim nearby trees: Tree limbs that hang over your roof and driveway are big wintertime hazards. Not only do limbs swaying in the wind create problems—they can knock loose or remove roofing shingles entirely, swing into other rooftop fixtures or come crashing down on top your roof—but snowfall can also build up on branches. When branches get heavy with snow, there’s the potential for them to break and fall onto cars and rooftops.
• Check attic insulation: Cold drafts and high heating costs could be due to poor attic insulation. Check if your attic needs extra installation material to boost efficiency or total replacement because of age or damage.
• Shut down sprinklers: To protect your sprinkler system during the winter months, turn off the water main and then drain the sprinklers as much as possible. Remove sprinkler heads and cap off the ends to keep water and debris from getting in. If water is left in the system, it may freeze, causing pipes to crack or burst under pressure of expansion.

Don’t get left out in the cold this winter! For help winterizing your home, contact K V K Inc., your go-to heating and air conditioning service in Central Kansas.

Categorised in: HVAC service

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