Earth Day is a good reminder that one of the easiest places to do something good for the planet starts at your front door. Small choices about how we maintain our homes add up, and they show up on the utility bill, too. At New Durham Estates, spring is the right time to walk the property, catch what winter left behind, and prepare for the warm months ahead.
The list below covers simple tasks you can knock out now and through the spring. Nothing here is too complicated, and most of it can be done on a Saturday morning with tools you already own.
Walk the outside of your home
Start with a lap around the house. Look over the roof, seals, and caulking around windows and doors after a winter in Northwest Indiana, which takes its toll. Check the weatherstripping on exterior doors. Walk the skirting and look for gaps, damage, or any areas where a small animal may have gotten in during the cold months. Small fixes now prevent bigger problems later.
Replace your furnace filter
This is the single easiest maintenance task with the biggest payoff, and most households put it off far too long. A clean filter helps your heating and cooling system run efficiently and protects the air quality inside your home. If you cannot remember the last time you changed it, that is your answer; it’s time.
Unplug your heat tapes
If you have heat tapes and they are not controlled by your thermostat, unplug them now. Heat tapes left running into warm weather waste electricity and add unnecessary heat around your home. This one is easy to forget, and it quietly costs you money every month it stays plugged in.
Clean out your dryer vent
This is a double win. A clogged dryer vent forces the machine to run longer and use more energy, and lint buildup is one of the leading causes of home dryer fires. Pull the machine out, disconnect the vent, and clear the full run from the back of the dryer out to the exterior cap. If it has been more than a year, you will be surprised by what comes out.
Program your thermostat
If you have a smart or programmable thermostat, now is the time to actually program it. Pro tip: Most people install a smart thermostat and never take the 20 minutes to set a real schedule. Program settings that adjust the temperature when the house is empty and restore it to a comfortable level before you are home. That is where smart thermostats actually earn their keep. Without a schedule, it is just an expensive regular thermostat.
Switch out your light bulbs for LEDs
Swap any remaining incandescent bulbs for LEDs as they burn out, or do it in one pass around the house. LEDs use a fraction of the energy and last years longer. While you are in maintenance mode, check and change the batteries in your smoke detectors, too. Spring is a natural time to catch that task.
Small steps, real impact
None of this is dramatic. No single task on this list will transform your utility bill overnight. The point of an Earth Day checklist is that consistency compounds. A clean filter, a programmed thermostat, an unplugged heat tape, a dryer vent that actually breathes, and an LED where an incandescent used to be. Over the course of a season, those choices mean a more comfortable home, lower bills, and a smaller footprint. Don’t forget if you need any supplies to accomplish any of these tasks, stop by the Do It Best at New Durham Estates, which specializes in supplies for manufactured homes.
