With colder weather on it's way, there are a number of things we can do to make sure our homes work efficiently over the winter.

First off, we know we should replace our furnace filter, and with that it's a good idea to get our furnace checked to ensure it's working properly.

Jed Reimer at Titanium Mechanical in Steinbach suggests getting your furnace checked on an annual basis to make sure it's ready for another cold winter. “As a furnace ages, there can be safety concerns, if there's cracks in the heat exchanger there can be carbon monoxide coming back into the house. It's a good idea to upgrade to a high efficiency furnace from a 65% to a 95 or 96% efficiency furnace, you'll save 30% and that's just on the heating side. The fan motor will be more efficient as well with a new furnace. The most important thing is to get the gas equipment checked and serviced.” He notes they work on natural gas, propane, fuel oil, geothermal, and electric heating systems.

Richard Kirwan Owner at Mighty Ducts says, “Duct cleaning is important for people if they have issues with dust in their home, if they have allergies or asthma, and if they want to get the maximum benefit out of their heating system as far as efficiency goes. How often you clean your ducts depends on the traffic in your home, how many pets you have, if you have hardwood floors, and every heating system will draw different amounts of air. Our average customer will get their ducts cleaned every 2-5 years.”

Josh Fast Owner at SkyView Landscaping in Steinbach says, “If you have an irrigation system you need to blow those lines out. Fall is a great time to fertilize your yard and to clean up leaves. If you have a treed lot, you'll want to clean out your eaves, and make sure water drains away from your home so it's ready for spring.”

Septic tanks need to be cleaned out every year as well according to Rick Eeghene, President of Paul's Septic in St Adolphe. “The more people in your home, the more often the tank should be cleaned out. Also, if you have a garb-orator that will effect how often it needs to be cleaned, garb-orators are not tank friendly. A lot of people like to have their tanks cleaned in fall so there's less of a chance of things going wrong in winter.”

Glenn Rempel from Grunthal Lumber suggests checking your smoke detectors and making an emergency escape plan with your family. “If you have a fireplace or wood stove, check the chimney and clean it out before winter. Check doors to see if they need to be tightened, doors these days have a way of tightening them around the weather stripping so it stops drafts from coming in. Check windows for cracks, and remove storm screens. Older homes may need insulation around the foundation of the house if you've noticed frost in the basement, because mould can grow. Your thermostat can be programmed to be cooler at night, it'll be more comfortable for sleeping and will save you money. Check outside taps and make sure hoses are removed. Clean gutters and check the quality of your shingles, also put up Christmas lights before it gets slippery and cold.”