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Winter is coming. Is your home ready?
Written by: Erby Crofutt
Winter Is Coming. Is your home ready?
By Erby Crofutt, B4U Close Home Inspections www.b4uclose.com
Winter is coming. Is your home ready to keep the heat in and the cold out?
Taking care of these issues can make your home more energy efficient.
1. Set the water heater temperature to no more than 120 degrees. (Temperatures
above this level can cause severe burns.)
2. Insulate the water heater and all water pipes in unheated areas.
3. Installing a low flow shower head can save about 1½ gallons of hot water per
minute of use.
4. Insulate air ducts in crawl spaces, attics and unheated garages.
5. Caulk around windows and doors; places where brick façade and siding meet;
and all utility entrances (cable TV, plumbing, gas, telephone, etc).
6. Disconnect hoses from outside faucets and insulate the faucet to prevent
freezing of the water pipe.
7. Check and repair the glazing putty around window panes. If you have single
pane windows, install storm windows.
8. Close the fireplace flue damper and the glass firebox doors when not in use.
9. To avoid fire danger, make sure you have the chimney flue inspected and
cleaned, each year, by a chimney sweep certified by the Chimney Safety
Institute of America (www.csia.org)
10. Clean out the clothes dryer vent flapper so that it will close.
11. Check the sump pump and drain line for proper operation.
12. Make sure your roof gutters and downspouts are clean and drain well away
from the foundation. Clogged gutters can result in ice dams forming on your
roof and causing damage to your roof.
13. Have your furnace servicing professional:
a. Check for Carbon Monoxide;
b. Make sure the burner flame is properly adjusted;
c. Clean out rust flakes in the heat exchanger;
d. Clean the blades on the blower fan;
e. Make sure the furnace and water heater flues are properly connected.
14. Remember to change your Air Conditioning/Furnace filters every 30 to
45 days.
15. Insulate floors over an unheated crawl space with at least 6” of insulation.
Un-insulated floors lose more heat than the ceiling. Insulation in Batt form
(small short pieces) is easiest for the do-it-yourself person to install.
16. Install gaskets behind outlet and switch covers on the outside walls. Cost
is minimal and installation requires only a screwdriver.
17. Don’t close attic, roof, and crawl space vents. Moist winter air will
condense, soak the insulation, and ruin the insulating effect.
18. Consider installing a programmable thermostat that will adjust the
temperature in your home automatically during periods when your home is not
occupied or you are sleeping.
Keep the bucks in your pocket, winterize now.
Find your Home Inspector at:
WWW.KREIA.ORG (502)-412-9699
WWW.NACHI.ORG (800)-448-3942
WWW.FindAnInspector.us
About the author:
Erby Crofutt owns B4U Close Home Inspections (WWW.B4UClose.com ) in Georgetown,
KY, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Real Estate
Inspection Association. (KREIA). He conducts Home Inspections in Central,
Northern, and Eastern Kentucky. He can be reached by phone at 502-570-4054,
by mail at B4U Close Home Inspections, 104 Lawson Drive, Suite 103-400,
Georgetown, KY or by e-mail at erby@b4uclose.com
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