When you’re living in any of the lovely towns in Skagit County, WA like La Conner and Anacortes, you have to be ready for extreme temperature drops, high winds, and more than the usual rainfall every winter season. It’s usually coldest from December to February where the temperature can dip to 21 degrees with around 12 inches of snowfall.
Being ready means not only gearing up for the holiday season but also making sure you and your home are comfortable enough for the colder and wetter days ahead. Your home’s heating system should be in optimal shape as this will probably be the most important home fixture to have at this time. But apart from your heater, there are other ways to ward off the chills as you spend winter at home. Here are other great ideas:
1. Minimize heat loss with curtains
It’s amazing how a simple fabric can help to regulate the temperature inside a closed space. This is the beauty of thermal curtains. Not only do they help to reduce heat loss inside your home in the winter, but they also score points in terms of energy efficiency.
Knowing how to use these curtains this winter can make a big difference in heating up your home naturally. Open them during daylight time and let the sunshine in. As twilight sets in, close them again to protect against the cooler nighttime temps.
2. Keep your pipes from freezing
Pipes are the veins of your plumbing system. If the water that runs through them freezes over, you’re bound to experience clogging at the very least, a burst pipe at worst. Insulate your pipes from the cold with heat tape, heat cables, or pipe sleeves. If you’re on a budget, newspapers can get the job done, as well.
Another way to avoid water from freezing in your pipes is by keeping your faucets slightly open all day. This encourages water flow and prevents the formation of ice.
3. Have a smart thermostat installed
The good thing about smart thermostats, in comparison with your regular ones, is that they can be programmed to heat up or cool down to your preferred temperatures during set times of the day. You no longer need to keep pushing buttons or the remote to constantly regulate the temperature in your living space. Moreover, you avoid overworking your furnace by keeping the temperature constant (preferably at around 7 to 10 degrees above your regular home temperature) instead of cranking up the heat every now and then. This translates to savings in your electricity bill.
4. Keep ventilation ducts open
The purpose of these ducts is to evenly distribute heat throughout your entire home. Cover these up and your heating system will work harder to push cold air out, resulting in an energy efficiency fail. Thus, check every vent register and make sure they’re open. If furniture blocks any vents, move these aside and let the air flow.
5. Close any possible sources of draft
A draft can come from several areas of your home. Apart from windows and doors, here are several culprits that could allow cold air to come in:
- Kitchen hood
- Chimney flue
- Spaces or cracks in your walls
- Spaces near electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems
Always remember to close your kitchen hood and chimney flue when not in use. As for those small gaps where the heat from your HVAC can leak out, caulking and sealants (preferably waterproof) can cover these spaces and keep the heat in.
6. Install better insulation in your attic and garage
In Anacortes, where temperatures could dip to the lower 20s, one of the smartest things to do here is to make sure you insulate your garage doors and your attic. While there is not much human traffic in these two areas of the home, the heat from your HVAC can come out through them and leave your living spaces frigid.
Apart from insulating your garage doors, avoid keeping them open for long periods of time. As for your attic, it doesn’t matter if it has been finished or not. Sealing gaps in the framing will help to prevent heat from escaping through them.
7. A portable fireplace? Why not?
Here’s a genius idea in home heating systems whose time has come – portable electric fireplaces! They can be installed anywhere in your home, they don’t use fire and combustible fuels, moving them around is convenient because they aren’t attached to gas lines or require chimneys, and they up the ante in both comfort and aesthetics. Use these to complement your HVAC in your chosen room.
These tips on effectively winterizing your home can be your handy guide as you make your bid to settle in Skagit County. To help you in finding the perfect home here, put your trust in The Groesbeck Group. They are the local real estate experts who will go above and beyond to see your real estate goals through. Call the team today at 360.941.3734 or via email at Info(at)JeanGroesbeck(dotted)com.