Preparing your home for winter

Preparing Your Home For Winter

WINTER IS COMING

The Winter season means cooler weather, higher energy bills and more time indoors. Don’t wait until it is too late to prepare your home for the chilly season. Here are a checklist and suggestions to winter-proof your home.

Winter Prep Checklist

  • Window coverings.
  • Check your heating system
  • Floor coverings
  • Clean and service air conditioner
  • Add layers to your bedding and sheets
  • Block drafts

Window Coverings – Thin sheer curtains are great for the warm summer months. But if you want to keep the warmth inside your home and stop your heating bill literally fly out the window then you will need to invest in some heavier curtains or blinds. Alternatively, you can invest in a window insulation kit. This not only lowers your heating costs but saves energy. And during summer you can block out the UV light.

Insulate windows for winter

Floor Coverings – Is your home floor mainly tiles, hardwood, linoleum or concrete? Hardwood floors are not that effective when it comes to heat retention. A good idea would be to invest in some rugs and hallway runners.

Check Your Heating System – This should probably be #1 on your checklist. Making sure your heater runs to the expected standard before winter is a task you should perform. An inefficient system can end up costing you a lot on your winter energy bill. Here is a list of some of the common things to tocheck.

  • Overall unit performance
  • Airflow, crack and hole check
  • Gas pressure, burners and ignition
  • Carbon monoxide leakage
  • Filter cleanliness.

Get your ducted heating serviced Ducted gas heating can be a lifesaver in winter. But if your system is left unattended over many seasons, it can become hazardous to your family’s health and safety. As your system is continually circulating air, the fan will often have dust build up over time.

The harder your ducted heating works in winter, the more pressure it puts on the gas burners and carbon monoxide testing units – both essentials for the proper running of your system. Having your ducted heating serviced every 12 months can ensure optimal performance and an enormous reduction of potential hazards. It’s best to leave these checks in the capable hands of an expert gas or heating specialist.

Although it sounds like a lot, having a properly functioning heating system can be essential for the health and safety of you and your family. If you’re strapped for time or need extra know-how, a registered plumber or heating specialist will help get your system in tip-top condition for the chilly months ahead. As winter approaches it would be a good time to check all your smoke alarms and detectors are up to standard and working. Check your use-by dates and check your batteries. At least have a set of batteries on hand.

Bed Covers and Linen -One definite way to keep warm while you sleep is under the cover of a warm doona laying ontop of linen sheets. Wool or feather doonas are generally the best at heat retention.

winter preparations

Block Drafts – Drafts not only come under the doorway but through the window sill. For the doors, you can use “snakes” or velcro draft stoppers but according to customer response, the best door draft insulator of all is the inexpensive Suptikes Door Draft Stopper Under Door Seal.

The Simple Way To Keep Warm – Rug up. Bring out your winter woollies clothing and put it on. It is a more natural way to keep warm and saves you on your heating bill. It might seem tempting to put the heater on but grab your dressing gown and see how you feel.