(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Tuesday morning’s snowfall was a not so subtle reminder for Chicago-area residents to think about winterizing their homes.
“A day like today where the snow falls for the first time, I think people wake up and look out their window and that's the first time they’ve thought about their furnace in quite a while,” said Joe Borter, owner of Borter Heating and Air Conditioning, which services DuPage and Kane Counties.
Cold and snowy weather can wreak havoc on our homes if heating units are neglected.
In addition to getting a furnace tuneup once a year, Borter said there are a few simple things homeowners can do to get ready for winter.
“The first and probably easiest thing for a homeowner to pay attention to, when it comes to preparing for a new season, is to check their air filter,” he said. “Sometimes, in those summer months, it's easy to forget to replace the air filter.”
And don’t forget about the outside of your home.
“It's important to remove any garden hoses from a spigot that's coming out of the house, otherwise it can hold water and freeze and cause it to burst,” said Borter.
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It’s also recommended to keep exterior furnace vents clear of any snow or foliage.
For homeowners looking to save a little money this winter, Borter said the answer is energy-saving technology.
“A lot of these smart thermostats can help greatly in terms of increasing the efficiency of the system just simply by changing the way they run and the way they're controlled,” he said
The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the entire Chicago area through 6 a.m. Wednesday.
AccuWeather predicts temperatures will turn even colder by the end of the week with Friday’s high just 24 degrees.
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