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Save energy and warmth using these tips for winterizing your home

  

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With a fall chill already in the air, now is the perfect time to get your home ready for the cold New England months ahead.  By taking a few steps now, you’ll increase your home’s energy efficiency and your comfort as well as avoid a few potential disasters.

• Check heating systems - The proper use and maintenance of furnaces, fireplaces and wood-burning stoves can prevent fire and smoke damage. Have furnaces, boilers and chimneys serviced by a professional at least once a year. Make sure that smoke and fire alarms as well as carbon dioxide detectors are working properly.
• Keep your gutters clean - Remove leaves and other debris so that melting snow and ice can flow freely. This can prevent ice damming which is when water is unable to properly drain through the gutters and instead seeps into the house causing water to drip from the ceilings and walls.
• Drain external faucets - Water that is sitting in pipes that lead to outside faucets can freeze and burst, ultimately flooding your basement and leading to possible water damage and mold problems. Simply close off the interior faucet valves by turning them clockwise all the way to the right. Then go outside and make sure that every last drop has come out of the faucet.
• Reverse that fan - By reversing your ceiling fan’s direction from the summer operation, the fan will push warm air downward and force it to re-circulate back into the living space, keeping you more comfortable. For winter circulation, the blades should be turning clockwise.
• Check insulation - Regardless of where you live in the US, you should have a minimum of 12 inches of insulation in your attic.  Don’t forget about the basement or crawl space.  Well-insulated basements and crawl spaces will also help protect pipes from freezing. Making sure that your home is properly insulated will help you to conserve energy and reduce your home's power demands for heat.
• Dodge the drafts - Block leaks and drafts on both the inside and outside of your home.  Caulk and weather-strip doors and window sills to keep cold air out.  For external brick areas, use masonry sealer, which will better stand up to freezing and thawing.  Adding a buffer against drafts and extra still air space can give a nice boost to your home's ability to hold heat.
• Mind that thermostat - It's easy to forget to turn down the heat when you leave the building, but doing so is one of the surest ways to save money.  For every degree you lower the thermostat during heating season, you'll save between 1 and 3% of your heating bill. Make it easier with a programmable thermostat; they are widely available for as little as $50, and the average family will save $180 a year with one.