12 December 2024
By Roger Kennedy
roger@TheCork.ie
Property
Whether you own a property you’re looking to rent this winter or are the lucky owner of your first home ever, chances are that this winter is giving you some food for thought. How will you secure the plumbing system, and what about keeping the HVAC system protected until temperatures rise again? These questions can keep many first-time homeowners up at night, with preponderance in Cork.
Whether your property is in Blarney, Blackpool, or Douglas, home winter upkeep habits are pretty much the same. The buying and renting prices obviously differ, but how you keep your home warm; not so much. This winter’s temperatures are set to be different than usual, with chances of snow across the 37,3 km² area rising, together with other five counties that may see the temperatures drop and a thin layer of snow covering the roads. Nevertheless, as with any long-range forecast, the likelihood of sudden changes in the projections is pretty high, so feel free to act with reservations.
So, what are some ways to improve the protection of your home’s systems, from pipes for water leaks to wires for preventing short circuits? Evidently, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution, nor should you dutifully follow all the advice. Determining which ones fit your house’s needs is essential, and it depends on the bountiful, specific details, like the heating system or construction year.
Check the HVAC system
The secret behind cosy, warm homes during colder periods is keeping the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in perfect state. This is the most critical installation in your home, so various problems, if concealed, can generate higher bills and personal discomfort. To nail this, the first prudent step is to ensure there are no clogs made of pollen, dust, mould, pet hair, and other buildups accumulated during the summer in the vents. A vacuum cleaning should cut it, additionally ensuring that the vents circulate quality air around your home.
If you don’t have a programable thermostat, now is the time to buy one. Such equipment could save you hearty bucks off yearly cooling and heating costs, maintaining the highest comfort level. And assuming you already have one, it’s time you configured it with all sorts of feats, like day vs. night temperatures. If the gear isn’t smart or modern, you know what to do. Get one that will cater to all your needs.
Lastly, if you’re not familiar with such maintenance activities and for any problem you may encounter, you can ask for a revalidation engineer’s assistance with check-ups. Reliable ones follow various standards and codes, such as IEST Guidelines and ISO 14644. Similarly, there are experts who activate in any niche you may need, analyzing and gauging indicators to spot various inconsistencies or flaws that may disrupt homes’ environments throughout the year. Homeowners leave key assessments to professionals because they use more than traditional tools like compasses or outlet energy checkers, employing top-tier tech solutions such as those featured by Celtic Surveys and other surveying specialists.
Ensure adequate insulation
Whether it’s freezing cold or chilly and windy, you want to be sure your home is correctly insulated to create a warm and pleasurable environment until spring. But if you’re new to home maintenance, how will you know for sure if your home is well-insulated?
Here are some red flags signalling your property may be under-insulated to watch out for:
- If your bills followed an upward trajectory over the years, chances are that your home’s insulation has been becoming gradually poorer. While noticing the modifications in your insulation’s capacity to regulate temps may be challenging, a thorough inspection of your bills over the past years should shed light on the problem. You can invest in extra insulation should the case require it.
- Close all the windows and enter the rooms to see if you can feel a sudden temperature variation between them. Should a substantial inconsistency be noticed, then your house may need re-insulation. Similarly, home temperatures that change by outside weather fluctuations are also tell-tale signs your home’s insulation falls short.
- Sensations of a chilly breeze when entering a room with a closed window may signal gaps around window frames and doors, in which case you know what to do.
Finally, frozen pipes conducting abnormally cold water, water leaks in your attics, or roof ice dams are other signs your home may need better insulation.
Seal gaps to keep draughts out
Assuming you’ve insulated your home adequately, it may be high time you checked for gaps that might facilitate the flow of cold and hot air. The heat you make may easily leak through cracks in doors and windowpanes that the naked eye can’t see. Ensure every opening is secure from draught by installing door and window draught excluders and plugging any holes. This precautionary solution will ensure you keep the environment warm without increasing heating expenses, improving your home’s energy efficiency.
For the same purpose, you’re advised to leave the curtains closed after 5 PM to prevent the heat from evading. You can freshen up the home in the morning when the temperatures are friendlier, and the cold airwaves entering the door won’t have you chilled to the bone.
Stock up on oil
With gradually dropping temperatures, the need for home heating oil rises, naturally driving up costs until demand decreases in the spring. Waiting until the weather feels like the Arctic may only have you buy heating oil at incredibly high prices out of emergency, not to mention that you may be subjected to order delays. Data shows that the residential sector accounted for around 95% of kerosene heating oil across Ireland, disclosing the demand is anything but falling. Scrutinizing past prices, we can see that the median heating oil and gas unit costs rose from 2021 to 2022.
If you rely on heating oil, verify your oil levels ASAP and top up before the rush kicks in. This way, you’ll save money and eliminate the stress of last-minute orders during frosty nights.
Get your home winter-ready with the tips above and enjoy the beautiful outside view from a warm, cosy room!