Keep Your House Warmer and Your Checkbook Heavier

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Some things you can do yourself, but others a professional should do.

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Video Transcript for "Keep Your House Warmer and Your Checkbook Heavier"

David Lupberger, ServiceMagic.com Home Improvement Expert, on Energy Savers

Hi, I'm David Lupberger with ServiceMagic.com. There are a number of things that can be done to make your home more energy efficient. Some of these things you can do, and some that you should hire a pro to do for you. Let's start down here in the furnace room.

Let's look at the furnace. There's a number of theories about how often to change to change your furnace filter. I like to change mine every three months. What that does is, by installing a fresh furnace filter every three months, it ensures good consistency and my furnace isn't working as hard because the filter is clean.

There's another thing I recommend for your furnace. I recommend that every year you get your furnace serviced by a service pro. They will come in, they'll clean out the furnace. They'll lubricate the motor. They'll check the switches. This is something you want to get done - number one because it'll last longer, but - number two, you don't want your furnace failing when it gets cold. By getting this service done every year, you know your furnace is in good shape, secondly you know it will last longer and perform better.

A good portion of your gas bill goes to keeping 40-50 gallons worth of hot water at 130-140 degrees, 24/7. So one of the things you can do - at any good hardware store or home improvement store, is buy this insulation blanket. The instructions are clear about how to wrap your hot water heater in this blanket. And because of this insulation, the hot water heater won't fire as much, you'll save money on your gas. Just like using a fresh furnace filter, by using some insulation, your hot water heater just doesn't have to work as hard.

One of the easiest things you can do is to check your windows for drafts and if there's a draft you'll feel it, you'll feel the cold air coming in. What that means is that there's a break in the contact between the window and the window frame. If you discover you have that, a good hardware store sells a variety of weather stripping options. And the way this works is actually to take these different layers of sealant, of rubber, and to apply them along the window frame so that when the window is shut, it creates a tight seal.

In the same way you check your windows, you can also check your door. When the door is shut, if you feel some drafts, what you want to do is install a weather strip for the door. It will seal against cold breezes, not only on these three sides, but also across the bottom. So, seal your front door the same way you seal your windows.

You'll also want to check your switches and plugs on exterior walls. You'll find that if you put your hand close to one of these exterior switches, you'll feel some cold air. There's a couple of things you can do. Any good hardware store will sell foam. This is window and door foam sealant. And it's made to seal open cracks within wall spaces.

Once I filled any outside gaps, the other thing I may want to do is come in and put this little cover over the opening itself. Once I've done this, between the foam and that cover, I will have eliminated the draft that's coming in from outside.

Just as when you go to bed in the evening and you pull a blanket over yourself, in the same way we can put a blanket over your house. It's called attic insulation and it's one of the most cost-effective things you can do to raise the efficiency of your home. It works for both summer and winter. In winter, your furnace will run less often and your home will be more comfortable. In the summer your air conditioner will run less and your home will be more comfortable. This is something you need to get a pro to come in and insulate your attic. They'll look at the best way to do it. It will be done professionally. It could save you hundreds of dollars over the course of the year.

Doing these simple things will not only save you money, but will make your home much more comfortable. To find a prescreened pro to help you with these tasks, or for any home improvement project, go to ServiceMagic.com - home improvement, hassle-free.