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Closing the flue to your chimney will help prevent the warm in the room from escaping up the flue. You should have glass doors to stop the air from escaping in addition to closing the flue.

The problem is that flues are not sealed properly. Over time they can warp and not seal correctly. One way to seal it up would be to install a chimney balloon.

Chimney balloons come in several sizes and is easy to install and use. You take it out of the package and unroll it so it will be easy to inflate. Begin to inflate the balloon, but not all the way yet. Before putting the balloon in the chimney, check to see if there are any screws or sharp edges sticking out. The balloon is very tough, but sharp objects can puncture it.

Once it is clear, slowly inflate the rest of the balloon. You want the balloon to be firm, not tight like a drum. It should have some give to it.

The manufacture gives you a red card that will remind you that the balloon is in the flue. The balloon will burst if lit, so it will allow smoke to go up the flue. The red card can be left hanging from the balloon, or placed near the glass doors or on the grate of the fireplace so you remember to remove it. Once you are done with your fire and the flue is cool, you can reuse the balloon.
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Use A Chimney Balloon To Stop Warm Air From Going Up The Flue

Install Air Conditioner Covers On Your Window or Wall Mounted Units

This can be a major source of cold air coming into your home in the winter. Air conditioners, as you know, exchange the warm air in your room with the cool air that it produces. That warm air is then exhausted out of the unit to the outdoors. However in the winter when you don’t have it on, allows the cold air from outside to enter your home making it cold and pushing up your heat bill. If you can, you should remove the window unit and reinstall it in the spring or summer.

If you can’t take it out of the window or have a unit permanently mounted in the wall, then you will need to by an air condition cover. These are installed on the exterior of the air conditioner. You will need to know the dimensions of the unit in order to buy the right size cover. The cover will then go around the unit and will help prevent cold air from coming through the unit in the window. While you are at it, check the way the unit fits in your window. If you feel drafts there, you will also need to air conditioner foam seal to go around the unit. You will also need it to seal the gap between the windows too.
Read these articles to save money on your heating costs

Change Your Furnace Filters Frequently To Improve Energy Efficiency

Use A Chimney Balloon To Stop Warm Air From Going Up The Flue

Buy A Window Insulation Kit

If you windows are old, drafty and single pane, it is time to upgrade them. If you have an unlimited budget and plan on living there for several years, then installing double or triple pane winters is the way to go. If you have a limited budget, you can install storm windows. But if you want an quick, easy an inexpensive way to lower your heating costs this winter, then buying a window insulation kit will give you a good return on your money.

When you add clear plastic window film to your existing windows, it will give you an air pocket between your windows and the plastic. This traps the cold air the leaks through.

Installing plastic window insulation is easy. It should take you from 5 to 20 minutes to do. You first install the double face tape that comes with the kit around the window frame. Next press the plastic onto it. Once that is done, use a scissor or utility knife to trim off the excess plastic. Now you take your blow dryer and gently heat the plastic film. Doing this gives you a nice tight seal and removes all of the wrinkles in the plastic.

When the spring comes, simply remove the tape and plastic from the window frame. The tape is specially made not to do damage to your frame.

Read these articles to save money on your heating costs

Change Your Furnace Filters Frequently To Improve Energy Efficiency

Use A Chimney Balloon To Stop Warm Air From Going Up The Flue

Air Duct Seal, Seal Those Ducts and Save Money

If you have a heating and cooling system using forced air, then this will be a very important post for you to read. According to the energy star web site, you can be facing a heating a cooling loss of about 20%. That is a lot of money to lose year round, down you agree?

Most duct work will be in the walls, crawlspaces and areas where you cannot reach them. For the areas that are accessible, you will need to take the time to inspect each joint to see if they are set correctly and also are properly sealed.

Turn your system on and place your hand over each joint. If you read my previous post here, I wrote how I discovered how my ducts were leaking. I originally use duct tape to seal the joints, but in a matter of weeks it became unglued and was falling off the joints.

I then purchased mastic tape to seal the ducts. It has a reflective metal look to it. On the other side is the part that you attach to the duct. It has paper that you remove so that it will stick to the ducts. It is easy to use as a duct sealant. Just cut it to size and place it on the offending joints.

Also check where your ducts connect to the registers in your home. This is another area where leaks can develop. Often time the register doesn’t fill the entire gap in the wall and cold air is allowed to seep into the rooms. Also check that there is strong airflow coming from the registers.

By taking the time to do this, you should be able to save money and feel more comfortable all year round by following these steps.

Read these articles to save money on your heating costs

Change Your Furnace Filters Frequently To Improve Energy Efficiency

Use A Chimney Balloon To Stop Warm Air From Going Up The Flue