Spring Cleaning Checklist
With spring’s arrival and warmer days right around the corner, many New England residents will be tackling the dreaded chore of spring cleaning. While some household tasks can monopolize your weekend, try these quick fixes to improve the energy efficiency of your home and appliances.
- Dust the Refrigerator. Just like any other surface in a home, refrigerators can become dusty and need a good cleaning at least once a year. Refrigerators exchange heat through a system of coils and when dust and dirt collect on them they are unable to heat as effectively. Subsequently, the system needs to run longer to have the same cooling effect. Simply take a vacuum to the back of your fridge to increase efficiency.
- Clean your vents. Dust and lint can prevent your clothes dryer from running economically. To clean the vent, remove the hose from the back of your dryer and vacuum it.
- Change your filters. Air filters should be changed at least twice per year. If you are a pet owner, consider changing – or at the very least cleaning – your filters more often as pet hair and dander can build up obstructing the air flow and making your HVAC system less efficient.
- Seal windows and doors. Even if you have caulked your doors and windows prior to winter, it is possible that they need to be sealed again. When it is cold outside caulking can fracture and condense so consider inspecting your windows and doors to find weak points and drafty areas in your home.
- Clean the oven. The dreaded task of cleaning your stove doesn’t just benefit the look of your kitchen, it can actually lower your energy costs. A range or oven that is darkened from heavy use can absorb more heat and ultimately reduce its efficiency, costing homeowners more.
- Home energy audit. With warmer temperatures on the horizon it is a great time to consider taking your energy savings to the next level. Noonan Energy offers FREE home energy assessments to National Grid and Eversource customers. This assessment will provide a thorough attic to basement evaluation to calculate your home’s energy usage and air leakage.
By adding a few simple tasks to your annual spring cleaning list, customers can make significant improvements to the overall efficiency of their homes and appliances. Don’t get overwhelmed, spring cleaning can be daunting, make a list, put some fun music on and tackle this list to create a more energy efficient home.
