EXTENSION NEWS

Winterizing the Home

It has just amazed me how fast this year has gone. I feel like it is just about time for Thanksgiving but winter officially started December 21. Along with winter comes the cold temperatures and of course here in Western Kansas the cold winds. Those two things equal higher utility bills. As I sit in a warm blanket that I received for Christmas, I wonder, have I taken appropriate measures to winterize my home?

Cold winds and temperatures might have snuck up on you this year, but making small adjustments in the home can lead to energy savings and lower utility bills through the winter months, according to Bruce Snead, director of Engineering Extension at Kansas State University.

Finding a balance between being comfortable and conserving energy is key, he said. Some main areas of concentration for winterizing the home include checking the furnace, insulation, and the windows, doors and outlets for leaks to the outdoors. But, having a working programmable thermostat might be the first item on the agenda.

“The thermostat setting determines how much you will spend for heating and cooling costs,” Snead said. He recommends that people consider setting it down when they don’t need it, perhaps when they are sleeping or gone during the day.

“Each house is unique, but generally every degree you drop on your thermostat might save as much as 3 percent on your heating and cooling costs,” he said.

Snead said that the furnace, whether it is a gas, propane, heat pump or even geothermal heat pump, should be operating at optimum efficiency. This means filters should be regularly replaced or cleaned.

“The more you use the furnace, the more important it is to check it, certainly at least every three months if not more often, just to make sure that the filters are clean,” he said. “If you have not had your furnace serviced in two or three years, it would be worth having a service technician do a standard evaluation to make sure everything is still lubricated, operating properly, venting properly and you are getting the most out of the fuel that is being consumed by the furnace to provide comfort in your home.”

If people have any combustion appliances, like a furnace, in their home, Snead said they should have a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas that can cause flu-like symptoms or even death.

Leaks to the exterior of the home are one of the largest drains on energy costs. Snead said it depends on how many windows the home has, the orientation of those windows, how old they are, how many layers of glass they have and how tight they are.

“Even if you have leaky, old windows, you can always add an interior layer of plastic—a shrink-fit film,” Snead said. “Just choose the proper-sized kit for your window. It can be temporarily installed. It’s a good way to maintain the clarity of view of the window, but air tightening by literally sealing the whole window at the surface of the trim.”

Another option for people is using temporary caulks, Snead said. If the window is not going to be used at all this winter, the temporary caulks don’t bond permanently to the surface but will seal around the window.

Snead said if people have outlets on the inside surface of their outside walls, air gaps in the insulation around the electrical box in the wall might allow cold air in and warm air out. Do a simple test to determine if you need to insulate your electrical box. Put the back of your hand up to the electrical outlet on a windy day, and if you feel cool air coming in you need to place a foam insulator on the underside of the plate.

Some other tips Snead recommends are: if the home has not had updates to the insulation in more than 30 years, there is no question that the insulation of that home should be checked and updated. Using warmth from the sun by allowing it to shine through windows facing south, east or west might help with home heating, be sure to close blinds, shutters or drapes at night to minimize heat loss.

“Knowledge for Life” provided by Phillips-Rooks Extension District #5 and K-State Research and Extension.