When it comes to getting the house ready for winter weather, the most important thing to do is to look at ways to insulate, reduce air infiltration and air escaping from the house, according to University of Missouri extension agent Mike Coffey in Neosho.
"Around the door or window, if you can see any light, air is going to be able to escape or cold air come into the house," he said. "There are weather stripping products at most hardware stores that will take care of most of those gaps. There are window insulating kits, film kits that do a really good job of sealing a window off but still maintaining really good visibility," he said.
Homeowners can also check places like hose faucets, electrical lines and other places there are penetrations in a wall from the outside. Those are good places for cold to get into the house. Caulking is a good way to take care of those holes, Coffey said.
Another tip, he suggested: Change the filter on your furnace/air conditioner.
"If it's not able to move air efficiently, it's going to cost more money," he said.
Moreover, he noted, "It would be a good idea to do a good preventative service or call in a professional to inspect your heating plant to be sure it's in good working condition."
To keep the home more comfortable, he said, open the curtains during the day on the south facing side of the house to let the sun in and close them at night to reduce heat loss.
"As we move into fall heating season, have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors up and functioning in your house," he said.
A lot of families heat their home with wood, Coffey noted. They should clean their chimneys and stove pipes.
"We lose a lot of homes every year due to buildup of creosote and defective chimney flues," he said. "As much as possible if you're going to burn wood, keep it out of the elements and keep it dry. Wood that's been seasoned a couple of years burns better than even one-year seasoned wood."
Families that use electric space heaters to keep warm should be especially careful, Coffey cautioned.
"Be sure there's nothing combustible within 4 to 5 feet of them. Never, ever use an extension cord on an electric heater.
"Some folks use a kerosene heater or a portable stove. Those work well, but they consume a lot of oxygen and put out a lot of carbon monoxide, so be sure you have a fresh air supply."
Coffey noted, "A family can easily save 5 to 10 percent of their energy budget by doing simple things like closing up gaps, making sure their furnace is running efficiently -- and that's just free money right into your pocket."
For those who are able to spend a little more money getting their homes ready for winter, Coffey had more advice.
"If your furnace is over 10 to 15 years old, it probably costs you as much to run as it would to replace, almost. A furnace of that age will send 30 percent of its heat up the chimney, whereas a new furnace would send only 4 to 5 percent up the chimney. If you have an older furnace and can afford to do so, the new furnace will pay for itself over two to three years."
He added that there are more and more economically feasible solar options for heating today.
"With an investment of $5,000 to $6,000, you can pick up the majority of the heat load of your house. It's going to take a while to get your payback, but there are options for solar heat."
General News on 09/22/2016