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    Sat 18 C01

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    courierpost
    This document provides tips and recommendations for winterizing a home and maintaining the basement to save on energy costs. It suggests having the furnace inspected and serviced by a professional, sealing any duct leaks with special tape or sealer, insulating ducts if needed, checking plumbing pipes for leaks and repairing any that are found, and ensuring proper ventilation of fuel-burning appliances to prevent carbon monoxide. The overall goal is to have a safe, comfortable home without expensive leaks or utility bills during the winter.

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    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Sat 18 C01

    Uploaded by

    courierpost
    33 views1 page
    This document provides tips and recommendations for winterizing a home and maintaining the basement to save on energy costs. It suggests having the furnace inspected and serviced by a professional, sealing any duct leaks with special tape or sealer, insulating ducts if needed, checking plumbing pipes for leaks and repairing any that are found, and ensuring proper ventilation of fuel-burning appliances to prevent carbon monoxide. The overall goal is to have a safe, comfortable home without expensive leaks or utility bills during the winter.

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    This document provides tips and recommendations for winterizing a home and maintaining the basement to save on energy costs. It suggests having the furnace inspected and serviced by a professional, sealing any duct leaks with special tape or sealer, insulating ducts if needed, checking plumbing pipes for leaks and repairing any that are found, and ensuring proper ventilation of fuel-burning appliances to prevent carbon monoxide. The overall goal is to have a safe, comfortable home without expensive leaks or utility bills during the winter.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    33 views1 page

    Sat 18 C01

    Uploaded by

    courierpost
    This document provides tips and recommendations for winterizing a home and maintaining the basement to save on energy costs. It suggests having the furnace inspected and serviced by a professional, sealing any duct leaks with special tape or sealer, insulating ducts if needed, checking plumbing pipes for leaks and repairing any that are found, and ensuring proper ventilation of fuel-burning appliances to prevent carbon monoxide. The overall goal is to have a safe, comfortable home without expensive leaks or utility bills during the winter.

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    courierpostonline.

    com/winterize for a guide to winterizing your home and saving fuel costs
    Saturday, October 18, 2008
    C
    Power vacuum
    Page 2

    INSIDE: Dear Abby 4 ... Television 4 ... Gossip & Games 6

    Pay some
    attention
    to basement
    By JAMES CAREY
    and MORRIS CAREY
    Associated Press

    The basement of the house we


    grew up in had a clanking fur-
    nace, rumbling water heater and
    banging pipes. Damp, dark and
    musty, it housed boxes and boxes
    of canned goods and who knows
    what else.
    As children, we were too
    scared to venture down there
    much.
    A basement also can be scary
    when it comes to home maintain-
    ance. They are vulnerable to in-
    trusion by water, damage by rot
    and structural pests such as ter-
    mites. Many provide easy access
    to rodents and insects. Most
    house a maze of exposed plumb-
    ing pipes, heating ducts and ex-
    haust flues. Since by design base-
    ments tend to leak, one of the
    most important components in a
    basement is a sump pump.
    As Halloween and cold weath-
    er approach, it’s time to turn at-
    tention to the basement and the
    various systems it houses. Here
    are some tasks that can make for
    a safer, more comfortable home,
    without frightening leaks,
    squeaks or monster utility bills.
    ■ Have your furnace inspected
    and serviced by a professional
    heating contractor. Make sure it
    is operating safely and that
    you’re getting the best bang for
    your energy buck. The pro will
    adjust burners, check the thermo-
    stat, change filters, confirm pres-
    sures and perform other cleaning
    and maintenance.
    ■ Leaking heat ducts can be a
    major source of energy loss. Look
    for separating ducts at joints and
    connections to equipment.
    Though duct tape is excellent for
    many jobs, sealing leaking ducts
    is not one of them. Pros use a
    heavy metallic tape or a paint-on
    elastomeric sealer.
    ■ Insulation around heat ducts
    is an important part of their effi-
    ciency. If the ducts are old, the in-
    sulation may contain asbestos, a
    health hazard. The Environment
    Protection Agency recommends
    asbestos-containing building ma-
    terials are best left alone when in
    good condition and not crum-
    bling. If you are concerned, con-
    tact the nearest branch of the
    American Lung Association for
    information on testing, repair
    and abatement. If ducts are not
    insulated, insulate them. If they
    are insulated and the material is
    not firmly affixed, use a spray ad-
    hesive.
    ■ Check for leaks at all plumb-
    ing pipes and repair or replace
    leaking ones. Pay special atten- Designed by TARA M. ASKIN/Courier-Post
    tion to the pipes attached to the
    hot and cold ports on the water ■ Read a story on how to build a scarecrow, as well as info about costumes, decorating and
    heater; they are prime candidates Halloween events, visit the Web and add /halloween.
    for corrosion.
    ■ Carbon monoxide is a color-
    less, odorless gas that results
    from improper combustion by
    fuel-burning appliances. In high
    concentrations it could be lethal.
    To prevent any carbon monoxide It’s time again for Scream-
    in the basement, make sure fur- Have a favorite Christmas ornament o-licious, our annual online
    naces, stoves, fireplaces, water you keep year after year, a cherished Halloween house decorating
    heaters, boilers, gas dryers and keepsake with which you can’t seem to contest. Submit photos of your
    part? Whether it be your grandmother’s house at www.courierposton
    See HOME, Page 9C Christmas angel or a commemorative El- line.com/screamcontest. Sub-
    vis ornament, we want to know about it. missions will be accepted
    Send us a photo and the story behind through noon Monday, fol-
    your favorite tree decoration and we may lowed by open voting until
    feature it in an upcoming Home and Gar- Oct. 27.
    den story. Send an e-mail and photo at- The winner will get a $500
    tachment to cmitchell@courierposton Boscov’s gift card, with more
    Visit our Web site line.com or send regular mail to Christi- prizes for second and third
    and add /homeprojects na Mitchell, Home and Garden editor, place. Visit www.courierpost
    Box 5300, Cherry Hill 08034. No phone online.com/screamcontest for
    for more Home & Garden ideas complete rules.
    calls, please. Courier-Post file
    10330685

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