Friday, October 19, 2012

Home Maintenance Checklist for Fall and Winter


General guidelines for keeping your home warm and efficient:
  • Have a qualified HVAC professional inspect your home’s ducts and cooling equipment.
  • Set your thermostat to 68°F when you’re at home and awake, and as low as 60°F when you’re asleep or awake.
  • Clean or replace furnace filters every month.
  • Clean chimney and check to see if your fireplace is working properly.
  • Seal air leaks in the attic, basement and crawlspace, and also around windows and doors.
  • Insulate inside of windows with heavy-duty, clear plastic sheets.
  • Check your attic for proper insulation. (The U.S. Department of Energy suggests a value between R-22 and R-49.)
  • Close curtains or shades at night and keep them open during the day
  • Clean windows on the south side of your house to maximize sunlight exposure. Weather-strip doors that lead to cold or outside areas.
  • Wrap and insulate waterlines to prevent them from freezing.
  • Repair leaky faucets.
 Thanks to Lennox for the checklist!