Tips on Preparing For Winter

Outside Faucets

It's very important to remove your hoses so that the faucet can properly drain. If the outside faucet is not a frost free type, turn off the valve to it in the basement and open to drain it.

Heat Tape

If you have an unheated crawlspace under your home, you probably have (or should have) heat tape protecting the exposed water pipes from freezing. Make sure it's plugged in to a working outlet. Check that it hasn't been disturbed or the insulation pulled away from the exposed pipe. Heat tape should be replaced periodicaly depending on the qulity and useage.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

These should be checked more than once durring the year. A good way to remember is to always check them at the begining and ending of Daylight savings time. Daylight time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. Also, all smoke alarms and CO detectors need to be replaced periodically because the components wear out over time. Many types should be replaced at least every 5 years, but check with the manufacturer. The battery should be replaced and the test button should be pressed to confirm functionality at least twice a year.

The Annual Tune Up

Yearly maintenance of your oil or gas burning equipment is needed for safty, reliability and efficiency. A good checkup should include an inspection of the vent system to make sure that combustion products are properly removed from your home. Also, combustion gases should be checked to make sure that Carbon Monoxide production is at reasonable levels. And last but not least, a well tuned burner can save you fuel and money.

Boiler System Tune Up

In addition to the annual fuel burner tune up, the entire boiler system should have regular maintenance in order to promote efficiency, longevity and reliability. This should include Anti-Freeze protection levels (if present), corrosion prevention, safty relief valve, fill valve, expansion tank and air elimination. If these components aren't maintained, you can loose efficiency and shorten the life of your system, costing you thousands of dollars in the long run.

Storm Windows and Insulation

Getting those storm windows on and sealed up is a chore, but well worth the effort in terms of saving energy and comfort! While you're at it, why not check the insulation in your attic and arround the basement sill? A weekend spent tightening up can save a lot of money over the course of the winter.

Energy Saving Controlls

Once the basics are done, consider installing an energy saving control. Here are a few options:

Outdoor Reset - Gain comfort with your baseboard heating system as well as saving energy. These controlls work by monitoring the actual outside temperature and shutting off the burner sooner on warmer days. This means the boiler water temperature is lower, and you won't get blasted with too much heat in your rooms when its relativly warm out. This type of control works best on newer, quality boilers, but can be installed on most systems.
Burner Heat Manager - Most manufacturers of these controlls will guarantee a 10% savings in fuel over the course of the year. These work by monitoring and optimizing the on/off cycle periods of the burner. These units are less expensive to install, and can be installed with good results on virtually any boiler system.
Programable Thermostat - There is some debate as to whether these units actually save energy. If the setback temperature is kept moderate and the "unoccupied" period of time short, they do appear to help conserve energy. Proper useage is to be the key.