Helpful Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Winter is soon upon us and we all know how cold it can get up here in the Northland! Right now is the perfect time to winterize your home before the white stuff flies!

We have compiled a simple list to help you winterize your home and maybe even save you a little money during the heating months!

1. Change Your Furnace Filters: What most folks don’t know is that furnace filters should be changed regularly during the heating months; about once per month. Filters can get dirty fast, restricting the airflow in your home and therefore increasing energy demand. Cleaning or Replacing your filters can help save you money during the long winters in Minnesota.
2. Reverse the Direction of Your Ceiling Fans: We are not scientists here but we do know that heat rises! People tend to think of ceiling fans as a way to keep cool in the summer time, but what some people may not know is that if you reverse the direction of the ceiling fan, it will actually help push the warm air back into your living space! Mmmm…. toasty!
3. Winterize Your A/C & Water Lines: This is a very easy and very important task! Be sure to drain any hoses around your house as well as on your A/C unit, including air conditioning pipes! If your A/C has a water shut-off valve, turn it off. Be sure to turn off all exterior water spigots around your home so they do not freeze up and burst over the winter!
4. Turn Down Your Water Heater: Water heaters are typically set at 140 Degrees Fahrenheit. This is the equivalent of lava…well, not really but it sure feels like it! By turning your water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, you could reduce your water heating costs by 6-10%!
5. Replace the weather stripping on your doors & windows. Warm air will escape through the cracks, forcing your heaters to use more energy than necessary. By simply replacing the weather stripping, you can save money over the heating months. Plus, you won’t get those nasty drafts of freezing winter air!
6. Purchase a Window Insulation Kit: Practically invisible, you can apply the window insulation kits to your windows at home to create a buffer between you and those cold drafts! Added bonus, it will help boost your home’s ability to hold heat!
7. Mind Your Thermostat: Why heat the house when no one is home? It is just wasted energy and money. By installing a programmable thermostat, you can control when the heat is turned on and off! Some of the newer programmable thermostats you can even program & control from your smart phone!
8. Smoke Detectors: Check the batteries in your smoke detectors. If your smoke detectors are 10 years old or older, they should be replaced completely.

The list could go on and on but these are a few that are quick and easy ways to help save you money for the winter to come!   Stop in at Pohaki for all of your Winterizing needs! Talk to our staff if you have any questions on how to winterize your home!