With the heat wave hitting Kansas hard, you may be thinking winter can’t get here fast enough. But even during this hot weather, it’s not too soon to start preparing your home for cooler weather now.

• Preventive maintenance – Have your furnace inspected and tuned up by a qualified HVAC technician. A thorough preventive maintenance call is inexpensive and will increase performance, efficiency and life span of your heating equipment, as well as prevent costly breakdowns.
• Seal your home – If you didn’t already do so to keep out the heat, seal any cracks or holes around windows, doors, or other locations with weatherstripping or caulking. Don’t forget to remove window A/C units before cold weather sets in; they can be drafty.
• Insulate – Many homes benefit from additional insulation in attics, basements and garages. Also insulate any water pipes. This will save energy and prevent freezing and condensation. You’ll find easy-to-use pre-slit pipe foam insulation at most hardware stores. Look for an R-value of 3 or higher.
• Check foundation – Clear leaves or other debris from your home’s foundation and inspect it for any damage that might allow entry of water or pests.
• Check gutters and downspouts – Clean gutters and ensure water flow is away from your home to prevent ice buildup.
• Ventilate your attic – If you’ve had problems with ice building up on your roof in the past, consider upgrading your attic’s ventilation system.
• Install storm doors and windows – This simple act can cut energy use by around 45 percent in cold weather.
• Seal ductwork – Studies indicate the average home loses 20 percent of its conditioned air through leaky ductwork. Insulating ductwork will further cut energy costs.
• Be safe – check smoke alarm batteries, and if you don’t already have a carbon monoxide detector, consider getting one.

Many of the methods used to keep your home warm in winter also help keep it more comfortable and efficient all year round.

At Overland Park Heating and Cooling, we’re always happy to help our Kansas City neighbors stay comfortable in any weather. Contact us if you have any questions or need some more advice preparing your home for winter.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air-conditioning and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Overland Park Heating & Cooling services Overland Park and surrounding areas in Kansas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!