Preparing your home for Fall and WinterFeel around edges of windows and doors. A good tip is to use a lighted candle and if the flame flickers, there’s probably a draft. If necessary, replace seals and repair caulking around window and door frames. Consider buying heavier or insulated drapery for especially drafty windows.Hire an HVAC professional to test for leaks, check heating efficiency, and change the filter. Stock up on extra air filters and change them every few months.If you have central air conditioning, cover outdoor unit for winter. If you use window air, remove them till next year.If you don’t have one, consider purchasing one. Check temperature settings and program to automatically lower at night and when you are not home. This can result in substantial savings.Change batteries in all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide devices.Replace old filters and clean inside compartment.Ship Bottom, NJ 08008 | The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from Jersea Realty participation in the IDX /Broker Reciprocity Program of the Jersey Shore Multiple Listing Service, L.L.C.

The information has been provided by Ocean County Board Of Realtors®, Inc. Real estate listings held by other brokerage firms are identified with the Seller's Representative. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This information is being provided for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Maintained by LBI Marketing & the Energy Spy Insider Free eNewsletter The leaves are beginning to turn and it's time to winterize your home. When you must take a two liter bottle of warm water out with you to rinse the windshield before you can see where you're going, it's time to winterize your home and it's time to park your car in the garage. I always preferred the bottle of warm water over starting the car and letting it warm up for hours. I just don't feel right letting the car idle that long, using all that gas and getting zero miles-per-gallon, when a little warm water will do the job.

Of-course, I live in a mild winter area compared to many of you folks, I do understand that some of you live in a winter wonderland that will freeze the warm water on your windshield faster than the windshield wiper can sweep it off.ac unit working but no air Here are five improvements that will help winterize your home against the cold weather.how to buy a ac unit Keep the cold wind from winterizing your floor. ac unit wall throughRemember the schedule for foundation vents, open in spring, closed in fall. Let the underfloor area breath through the summers warmer months and dry out, then close the vents in the fall to keep the cold air from freezing your feet. I have the plastic, rectangular vents at my place. The vents have the plastic flaps that open and close.  

With the passing of time, some of the flaps will no-longer stay closed, so I have purchased the styrofoam vent covers and placed those in front of the flimsy plastic ones. Now the flaps are held closed and I have double, insulated protection against the cold. The styrofoam vent covers can be easily trimmed to fit most vent openings. No matter what type of heating system you’ll be relying on this winter (furnace, wood stove, boiler, heat pump, etc.), it’s important to have your system cleaned and serviced. Of special note is the air conditioner heat ex-changer. If you have central air conditioning or a heat pump, somewhere in your duct system near the furnace is the heat ex-changer that is connected to your air conditioner or heat pump. The heat ex-changer looks like your cars radiator. During the summer it has all that cool air flowing through it along with the all the dust, particles, animal hair, Q-tips, and anything else you can't find. Open up the heat duct and gentle vacuum and clean the heat ex-changer.

All your warm air that heats your home also must go through this radiator, remember, if the radiators plugged up, the car overheats because not enough air can pass through. If the warm air can't pass through the heat ex-changer, your feet stay cold and your utility bill heats up. Don't allow the warm air that you have already paid for leak and radiate up through the ceiling. Attic or ceiling insulation is the most cost effect measure you can treat yourself to that will save energy and keep your home more comfortable. Remember, first air seal the attic floor and then insulate. How much insulation should you have in your attic? Simply, the more the merrier. If your on a short budget like I am, air seal and insulate the attic yourself. Most of the big-box building supply stores will have the machine to blow the insulation into your attic and you can use the machine without additional cost. The kids have been opening windows and running in and out the doors all summer. There is a pretty good chance that the windows are not shut all the way and the weatherstripping in the doors have been damaged.

Check the windows and see that they are closed properly and latched. Latching a window will help the weatherstripping do it's job. If you have a problem window that has damaged weatherstripping, the weatherstripping can be replaced. You don't have to replace the whole window just because the weatherstripping is hanging out. Not everybody can have central air conditioning. For many of us, the Amana A.C. unit sitting in the family room window is as good as it gets. So what happens when the snow starts to pile up on the backside of the Amana? The air conditioner is an open tunnel with a bunch of fins in it. Even when the fan is not on, the air can pass through the unit almost unrestricted. The window air conditioner needs to be removed from the window and the window closed and latched. Some homeowners and builders get fancy and install a window air conditioner straight through the wall. If you remove the A.C unit you would have a big hole in the wall. In this situation, you can build a box that just fits over the back of the air conditioner and seals against the outside wall.