Fall Maintenance Checklist to Help Your Home Efficiency


You probably already know that seasonal preventive maintenance on your HVAC system is necessary to keep everything working properly and efficiently. Residential energy efficiency can also be increased by performing some important maintenance tasks on your house. Here is a checklist of some of the most useful maintenance jobs.

• Seal air leaks: Air leaks in your home’s structure can account for sky-high energy bills as heated or cooled air escapes unused. Sealing these leaks will have a dramatic effect on the efficiency and comfort of your interior living areas. Look for holes, cracks, gaps or other openings where air can leak out. Pay particular attention to areas around door and window frames, spots where pipes or wires penetrate the walls and places where foundation makes contact with the house frame. Seal these leaks with caulk or other air-blocking material. For additional sealing, put weatherstripping around windows and doors to seal gaps where drafts can occur.
• Add or increase insulation: Insulation helps keep your home’s interior consistently comfortable by restricting the flow of heat into or out of your living spaces. Look for areas where insulation is missing or insufficient and add insulation there. Most commonly, you’ll use standard batt or blanket insulation between beams and joists. Foam or loose-fill insulation can be used in areas that are hard to reach or are irregularly shaped. Insulate hot water pipes and water heaters to prevent excess heat loss.
• Fix the roof: If there is damage to your roof, such as holes, gaps or missing shingles, have these problems fixed before winter. Holes can allow rainwater and melting snow to leak into your home. They can also allow conditioned air to leak out.

With nearly 40 years of experience in the HVAC industry, Stack Heating & Cooling is a premier choice for heating and cooling services in Cleveland, Avon, and the neighboring northeastern Ohio communities. Contact us today for more information on home maintenance tasks that can be done to keep your residence comfortable and energy efficient throughout the coming winter.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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