Energy-Saving Updates Can Pay Off in a Big Way

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Adriane Berg

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Furnace checklist

Make sure the service representative does the following:

Changes filters on warm air furnaces.

Lubricates blow motor.

Removes combustible materials from area.

Makes sure all switches are on.

If furnace doesn't come on, makes sure fuses and circuit breakers are working.

Makes sure pilot light is lit.

If you have a hot water boiler, he oils the circulator pump motor.

If you have a steam boiler, he makes sure water is at a proper level.

s your home an energy guzzler? Are your windows so drafty they can blow out a match when held close? Take a look at these steps that will help you save money and energy by keeping your home warm and cozy.

Routine maintenance can reduce your energy bills and protect your house from energy loss is more than just saving on heating costs. It's about water damage, broken pipes, fallen trees and heart attacks from shoveling snow - unless you live in southern Florida or Hawaii. For the rest of us, a systematic approach is preventive medicine for the home.

I called Tom Sims, president of Thomas Designs Inc., a top residential builder and renovator in Milburn, N.J., to help me handle the tasks. I wondered if I could really hibernate with serenity in my 1894 money pit of a home.

Tom assured me that the key was to prioritize based on the damage that neglect could cause. Next, I must realistically assess whether the task needed a professional or could be done myself. Finally, I must set a date for action.

Keeping water out of the house dominated Tom's list of top priorities. "If you take care of only three things, it should be these," he admonished:

n Check the insulation and ventilation in your attic.

Poor or rotted insulation and lack of air circulation contribute to ice dams that can cave in the roof.

n Clean gutters and leaders in November.

Poor water drainage can make interior ceilings collapse as snow melts. Consider installing roof de-icing cable (I bought 100 feet for $69 at a Home Depot.). The low voltage lines melt the ice and send water directly into the gutters.

n Make sure outside light fixtures are waterproof and working.

This is an essential safety feature, both to ward off break-ins and to allow folks to navigate snowy patches without falling.

Many other things suffer badly from damage through freezing and thawing. Turn over clay garden pots or they will crack. Make sure there is no bare wood exposed to the elements. Prime and paint where necessary. Drain and store the garden hose and empty the hose spigot. Ice will ruin it for next spring.

Only after the lecture on water damage did Tom agree to turn his attention to heat loss. He warned me not to get overwhelmed. Homeowners need not fill in every nook and cranny.

Check the weather stripping around doors and windows. Done right, it should last five to 10 years. Take care of the most flagrant drafts, such as the ones that blow out a match when held close.

Keep repeating, "the caulking gun is my friend."

I learned to use silicon caulking for filling in drafty areas and sealing between different types of materials such as wood and glass. Flake away old layers before applying new. Then apply the weather stripping. I used insulation in a can around doors and windows, where there were deeper open pockets.

The two most important areas are where you may need professional help. Call a service representative to examine and tune up the heating unit. Bring in an insulation specialist to give you the R rating and see if improvement is possible. Heating units, insulation and installing new windows are high-ticket items. If done right once, they will cut heating bills for decades.

Everything from formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons to mold, spores and dust mites hibernate with you in winter. Doctors postulate that it's these elements, not the cold, that make us sick. Even your humidifier (which is great to moisten steam-heated air) can be a bed of germs. Clean filters on all air-related appliances, including the furnace, regularly.

I feel better having installed several carbon monoxide detectors at $40 apiece at a local hardware store. I bought a clean air machine for my allergy-prone son. Their prices varied from $69 to $178. Look for one that changes the air six times in an hour in a 16 x 20-foot room.

Finally, open a window in every room for half an hour a day. Leave the bedroom window open a crack, keep the temperature down and add a blanket.

Take time to examine your fireplace before you use it. Examine the flue and fireplace walls to forestall drafts and billows of smoke from coming into the room. Hire a chimney sweep to clean the fireplace after every 100 fires if you use hardwood. If you're a paper crumbler, or use softwood, have it cleaned twice a year.

Decks should be sealed. We have a porch that I paint every spring. But it's better to paint before the winter torrents. I removed my awnings and oiled the parts.

I refused to seal my own driveway although I was assured that if I liked a caulking gun I'd love a propane torch. Still, I enjoyed watching the cracks get filled, heated with the torch and finally the application of a driveway sealer.

My gardener wrapped shrubs in burlap and planted bulbs, reseeded and fertilized the lawn. I fed my flowering fruit trees. Have a tree service check whether there are any weak trees. A cable can prevent serious injury to a person or property if a heavy branch falls.

I put a gas stabilizer in the gas tank of the lawn mower. It's now stashed away and ready to roll over the first tuft of spring grass.

Should I trade up or remodel my current home?

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