The arrival of the cold seasons
Although not everyone is happy about it, the warm summer evenings and days of sun and swimming are coming to an end. Already, fall temperatures are making themselves felt. Even if snow is still far away in your thoughts, it's time to prepare the house for the winter season.
Insulate your home
Without re-insulating your home,checking its airtightness is one of the main elements to consider if you want to spend the winter warm. Doors, windows and dryer vents, for example, can allow air to leak out and thus allow warm air to escape through these openings. The opposite is also possible and these elements can allow cold air to infiltrate inside your home. Some places are more critical to allow air to pass through, here is a non-exhaustive list: electrical outlets, windows, doors, wall and floor corners. Once you've identified the areas that are susceptible to drafts , you can use a pinsurer, because depending on the nature of your professional activity, it may assess that the risks are too high to be linked to your home insurance policy. So your insurer may refer you to specialized business insurance instead. to cover these areas or purchase weather stripping. Not only will this keep you warm, but it will also help lower your electricity bill.
Maintain your heating system
Maintaining your heating system is important not only to ensure its efficiency, but also for the safety of you and your family. Although it may seem surprising, all heating systems require maintenance. Heating systems are one of the main causes of home insurance claims. Here is a brief description of the maintenance required on the two most popular heating systems.
Stove and fireplace
To properly maintain your fireplace or wood stove, you must first remove the ashes and residues that have accumulated. You can then clean its interior with a brush and a mixture of soapy water. The chimney should also be cleaned every year. To do this, you can call in a professional, which is highly recommended. If you are more of a DIY type, you can also do it yourself. The advantage of hiring a professional is that they can also check the other components of your heating system.The purpose of sweeping your chimney is to remove creosote residue and ashes that may accumulate inside the chimney with a specially designed brush. This operation will help, prevent chimney fires or even worse, fires in your home. In case you are wondering, propane fireplaces also need to be swept.
Electric heating system
The electric heating system is one of the easiest to maintain. To ensure its performance, it is essential to keep it well dusted. Whether it's with a cloth or a vacuum cleaner, make sure to clean all the radiator elements. Every year you can also make sure that each heating element are working properly and replace any that may be defective.
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