Winterization

In Northeast Ohio, winterization of your home is crucial not only for comfort and efficiency, but also for your family’s safety. Ensure that all systems are working right, and that you’ve done all you can to prepare for the worst that winter can deliver by following these tips.

Clear Out Gutters

If you don’t have leaf guards on your gutters, be sure the gutters are clear of leaves and debris that can trap rain and snow melt and damage the gutters and the edge of your roof. Keeping your gutters clean will also help eliminate the possibility of ice dams. Ice dams cause long, damaging icicles that hang from the edge of the roof and that are also a hazard when they break loose.

Reverse Ceiling Fans

Reversing the direction of your ceiling fan blades to clockwise for the winter will help you save money and keep your home’s occupants warmer. The blades will push warm air down from the ceiling so that it reaches people at floor level, while lifting cold air up.

Have Your Furnace Inspected

It’s never too late to call for maintenance, but it’s always better to do it before winter storms start in earnest. You want to make sure sensors, thermostats and controls are working right, and that the heat exchanger and burners are functioning as they should. Don’t forget to change the filter regularly.

Trim Dead Limbs

Before winter storms arrive, get rid of dead tree branches that, when caked with ice, are likely to break and cause damage.

Air Seal Your Home

Go around windows, doors and baseboards, looking for places where drafts of cold air are getting in. Seal them with caulk or weatherstripping. Also examine attic hatches, recessed lighting, switch plates, and holes where pipes, cables and wiring enter your home from the outside. Wave a smoke pencil or a stick of incense to see if drafts are coming in. Seal these openings with insulation or weatherstripping.

Want more winterization tips? Contact Stack Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electric. We’ve served the greater Cleveland area since 1976.

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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