Fall is a great time to look inward at the guts of our homes. Old man winter will be coming. For some, quicker than others. Here are my top 5 “do it now” tune ups before the weather turns against us.
#1–Tune up your Heating System:
Twice a year I bring in the big guns to tune up my geothermal system. No one wants a heating equipment breakdown in the middle of the winter. Energy Star advises homeowners to maintain their systems as follows:
“A typical maintenance check-up should include the following.
- Check thermostat settings to ensure the cooling and heating system keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves energy while you are away.
- Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current on motors. Faulty electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components.
- Lubricate all moving parts. Parts that lack lubrication cause friction in motors and increases the amount of electricity you use.
- Check and inspect the condensate drain in your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump (when in cooling mode). A plugged drain can cause water damage in the house and affect indoor humidity levels.
- Check controls of the system to ensure proper and safe operation. Check the starting cycle of the equipment to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.
Heating Specific
- Check all gas (or oil) connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger. Improperly operating gas (or oil) connections are a fire hazard and can contribute to health problems. A dirty burner or cracked heat exchanger causes improper burner operation. Either can cause the equipment to operate less safely and efficiently.
Actions To Do Yourself
- Inspect, clean, or change air filters once a month in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. Your contractor can show you how to do this. A dirty filter can increase energy costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.”
In fact, it might be time to replace your heating equipment. If your system is over ten years old and not keeping your home comfortable, it is time to replace. Listed here is a handy checklist to decide if it is time to chuck your unit.
For United States residents: Be sure to check out your state incentives and federal tax credits.
For Canadians: See here.
Oh, and don’t forget to give some love to your ducts. Be sure to check out my article, “Give Your Ducts Some TLC to Stop Global Warming” (I know a little dramatic but hopefully, it will get you into action.)
#2 Caulk, Caulk, Caulk.
Caulk is used to close gaps that are no more than a 1/2 ” in size. There are two type of caulking: exterior and interior. Pay special attention for gaps on the exterior of your house, such as chimneys, siding, eaves, gable moldings, window sills and sashes, door frames and inside corners formed by the siding.
In the interior, pay special attention to pipes, wires, vents, duct vents, outlets and switch plates on outside walls and protruding through your attic floor.
Be sure to check the caulk around exterior windows and doors for wear. In fact, my house is about 8 years old, and this year we will be replacing the exterior caulk.
Some light reading:
- How to Caulk Windows {+Video}
- How to remove old caulk and re-caulk around windows. {Video}
- How to avoid 10 of the most common caulk mistakes.
#3 Weatherstrip Those Windows and Doors
At night, I want you to grab your flashlights or your blow dryer. (Your preference.) We have work to do. I personally use the flashlight method. Go to your exterior and shine your light under and around your doors. If you can see the light inside, that means you have air infiltration.
In your garage, you can simply turn on your garage lights and see under the door. Under my door leading to my garage years ago was so bright it was scary.
Some people use the blow dryer method where they blow air under and around the door.
Windows are tricky. You can use the incense method on a windy day. Simply, wave a lighted incense stick around potentially leaky areas of your house especially doors and windows. Whenever the smoke wavers or is blown into the room, you have a leak. (Note, if you have hard to find leaks, follow the instructions here along with using a incense stick.)
Here are some weather stripping ideas I used in my own house.
#4–Remove Leaves around your electrical equipment
For a couple of years, for some mysterious reason my pool heater and pool wire were chewed during the winter. I could never figure out why mice would chew them. One year, my pool company remarked to me to clean up my leaves around my pool equipment since I was creating a nice environment for mice and other rodents.
Every year I make sure there are no leaves left around any equipment. Knock on wood, but nothing has chewed my wired since then.
You may not have a pool but I bet you have a grill or air conditioning unit. Clean up the leaves.
#5 Insulate that Attic
When the weather gets colder outside, consider a home audit. They aren’t expensive. Believe me, they are eye opening even though I have an Energy Star rated house. (Read my home audit story here.)
However, in prior homes, I found one of the leakiest part of the house is the attic. Many of us have recessed lighting and vents from bathrooms protruding into the attic. In addition, the heating and air conditioning ducts do not have adequate insulation, including the duct boots connected to the vents in our second floors.
Moreover, the doors or attic hatches are uninsulated. So now you know why your heating and air conditioning bills are sky high. You are heating and cooling your attic. Listed below are some articles on reducing air infiltration in your house as well as types of insulations you could use.
Just as an aside, I haven’t done an article about cellulose, but did use it in one of the house I owned. The most important key with cellulose is to find a reputable installer. However, this statement is important for all insulations. See here for the pros and cons of cellulose.
Light Reading:
- Home Energy Audits Are Just Like Liposuction without the Pain.
- Air Infiltration Stopped Dead in its Tracks with Gaskets
- Energy Bills Too High? Stop Air Infiltration in Attic
- Is Your Living Area Just One Big Leak?
- Outlet and Light Switches Suck Your Money Right Out the Window
- Give Your Ducts Some TLC to Stop Global Warming
Insulation Articles:
- BASF’s COMFORT FOAM® Reduces Energy bills and Increases Comfort
- AirKrete Fire Proof Foam Insulation: Peace of Mind with Lower Energy Bills
- Recycled Denim Insulation by Bonded Logic: Green, Warm, and Itch-Free
- Wool Insulation by Oregon Shepard: Natural, Energy Efficient, NonToxic
- Icynene® Insulation–The Ultimate Barrier to High Energy Bills
Join the Conversation:
- What are your required winterizing tune-ups for your home?
- What are your favorite insulations?
- What have you done to make your own home more energy efficient?
Rachel says
September 30, 2013 at 8:49 pmOH, we really need to get on this. Doesn’t help that it’s 80 degrees in LA today!
Anna@Green Talk says
September 30, 2013 at 9:20 pmRachel, 80 degrees! Wow. At least you can start your work when it is warm outside. Anna
Ann Shirley says
October 2, 2013 at 1:18 pmGreat tips! Even though summer’s over I will be getting my air conditioning and heating devices checked for maintenance. I need to make sure my heater is ready for fall and with it being this unseasonably warm who knows how much longer I’ll need my air conditioner? I might as well get them both checked at once. I’ll have to work on preparing my windows and insulating the attic as well. Thanks for the reminders!