Crescent-News.com - Protect your home from old man winter's wrath

By DARLENE PRINCE

Cold winds and winter-like weather have already made their appearance in northwest Ohio, leaving a taste of worse weather yet to come.

Before the weather turns really cold, homeowners or renters who want to save on their heating bills can take some simple steps to conserve energy.

Defiance contractor Fred Mansfield had several suggestions on preparing a home for winter.

"Replacing older windows with new windows can save heating costs," he said. "Most of the old windows are single-paned and the new ones are double-paned and better at keeping heat in. Also, with new windows, you don't have to deal with the glaze (around the edge of the window) that cracks or falls off the window. Some older windows have aluminum frames and those frames draw the cold to the window.

"If you can't put in new windows, then you could use shrink-wrap around the windows," he said. Shrink wrap is available at most hardware stores, is inexpensive, is fairly easy to place around a window and comes in a variety of sizes for windows.

Another suggestion Mansfield had was to blow extra insulation into the attic or sidewalls, especially in an older home.

"If you are getting your house re-sided, then it is a good time to have insulation blown into the sidewalls," he said. He added that even if a home is not being re-sided, adding insulation in the sidewalls of an older house is still a good idea.

Other precautionary measures that can be taken on the outside of the home include:

-- Make sure gutters are cleaned of leaves and debris.

-- Check the roof for any missing or damaged shingles.

-- Cut back tree branches that may fall on the house or outbuilding during a storm.

-- Prepare snowblower or snow shovels for winter work.

-- Lay in a stock of rock salt and sand for ice on sidewalks and driveways.

-- If you have a chimney that is used for burning wood, be sure it is cleaned periodically to prevent a build-up of creosote and a subsequent chimney fire. Also, check the fireplace for creosote.

Inside the house, plan to install storm windows and caulk or seal up any cracks around doors or windows. Install weatherstripping around doors to stop drafts.

Insulate water pipes that may be close to an outside wall with special foam rubber pipe sleeves to prevent water from freezing. Turn off the water to outside faucets at the valve inside the house and then turn on the faucets and drain the water left in the pipes.

And last, but certainly not least, is getting a "tune-up" for the furnace.

A technician from Scott Wagner Plumbing & Heating, Defiance, listed some of the important items that should be checked in a furnace "tune-up."

Those include:

-- Clean the pilot and burn areas and check the pilot light.

-- Check the gas pressure on the furnace.

-- Inspect the thermostat to see if it is functioning correctly.

-- Check the drafts in the flue or chimney.

-- See if the fan is in good condition and check the fan belts, if there are any.

-- Check the safety switches on the furnace.

-- Oil and lubricate motors.

-- Change the filter, if needed.

He said depending on the type of filter used, furnace filters should be changed either once every three months or once a month.