Home Heating Tips – Part 3

Heating your home this winter – Part 3:

Our third part of our mini-series on heating your home during this cold season.

Close your curtains and blinds at night to help keep out the cold and open them during the day. This will allow the sun in and warm the room naturally.
If you have central heating or heating vents, make sure they are completely unobstructed by furniture or other objects. Dirty vents should be vacuumed regularly to keep them free of dust, hair and other debris.
Use LED holiday lights: light emitting diodes, or LEDs. These bulbs are at least 75% more efficient and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent lights. By using LED holiday lights, you can be at ease knowing that you won’t be spending a bundle to keep those lights on.
Lower your water heater temperature. If you leave the house for three or more consecutive days, set to the lowest or ‘vacation’ setting if there is one.
For safety and energy efficiency, devote a little time to your fireplace and chimney before you light it for the first time this fall. Having your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected every two or three years is highly recommended if you use your fireplace regularly. To prevent water damage and possible fire hazards, fill cracks in the masonry work and round the chimney with a fireplace mortar product available at home improvement centers. Make sure the damper closes tightly when the fireplace isn’t in use, so as to reduce the amount of heat escaping up the chimney. If you rarely use your fireplace, consider investing $60 or so in a DIY chimney draft stopper. This is an inflatable balloon-type device that temporarily seals off the chimney to reduce both heat and air condition loss to virtually zero.