Energy-Saving Tips for Your Home
All sorts of things may have happened over the past few months; snow and wind may have damaged your roof or landscaping, debris may have clogged your air conditioning unit.
With warmer weather rolling in, it’s important to thoroughly inspect inside and outside your home for any gaps in energy efficiency. Use this checklist to help you prepare for the warm months ahead:
1. Clean your air conditioning unit and get it inspected
Remove any leaves from inside or around the unit and dust, vacuum, or spray the condenser fins to get off remaining dirt and debris. After you do that, replace the filter inside the house.
2. Examine your roof and siding to make sure winter storms didn’t cause any damage
Cracking ice, downed tree limbs, and the weight of snow could have dislodged shingles or siding. This can create a hole in your building envelope, letting in outside air, bugs and small creatures, and letting temperature-controlled air out into the world. DIY or hire someone to fix any issues you find.
3. Caulk around windows and doors to seal any cracks
Harsh winter weather could have damaged the seals around your doors and windows. Check to make sure you don’t see or feel any cracks. If you do, use a caulking gun to fill them.
4. Plant native or USDA Zone-appropriate flowers, trees, and bushes
If you need to replace or add any plants to your yard, try to make sure they grow naturally in your climate. This means they will require less water and will thrive with less care.
5. Don’t over-water the lawn
Your grass probably needs less water than you think. The general rule is 1 inch of water a week. In many places, rain provides most if not all of this.
6. Open the windows on warmer days
Don’t forget to turn off the heat and open the doors and windows when the temperature warms up. This allows your home to air out any built-up pollutants or humidity.
7. Switch the direction of your ceiling fan
In the winter, your ceiling fans should be rotating clockwise on low speed to distribute the rising warm air around the room. In the summer, the fan should turn counter-clockwise to force air down into the room to help cool its occupants.
8. Clean off the refrigerator coils
As the weather warms and your pets start to shed, more hair will collect on the coils making the refrigerator work harder. A long-handled brush is perfect for cleaning coils on the bottom or back of the refrigerator.
9. Change the settings for lights that are on a timer
You may have set indoor or outdoor lights on a timer so there’s light when you get home. Now that the afternoons are getting longer, you may be able to reset it for later or turn it off altogether.
10. Clean the grill
Cooking outdoors is a great way to keep your kitchen cool, so pull out your grill from the garage and clean it up. If it’s a gas grill, make sure you have a full tank and check the lines to make sure there aren’t any holes or cracks.
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