Preparing Your Home, Vehicle For WinterPOSTED: 7:03 pm EST November 10,
2008 PITTSBURGH -- With temperatures dipping and the winter season quickly approaching, many are upgrading their home heating systems to save money on gas bills.Baldwin resident Irene Kicinski did so two years ago.“It was so high -- the bills when they came in,” said Irene Kicinski. “I had to lower it somewhat.”South Side Plumbing and Heating has been flooded with customers concerned about how winter will bear down on their wallets in the midst of a frigid economy."Basically the money is tight -- fuel bills, consumption -- everything is tighter than ever before,” said John Kicinski of South Side Plumbing. "The source of your greatest consumption of gas is in your home heating system. That's your number one priority. "South Side Plumbing and Heating said boilers and furnaces provide anywhere from 80 to 93 percent efficiency.The price range is $2,500 to $4,500.The other areas that can save money are weather stripping windows and leaks along with new insulation.But the biggest cost-saving comes with higher efficient boilers and furnaces."A, you start with the biggest factor in what's burning the most gas. The more efficiency, the lower the gas bills,” said John Kicinski.Outside of the home, preparing vehicles for wintry weather can also prove tricky.Rick Weis, of Norm Weis Automotive in Beechview, said snow tires aren’t always necessary."It's just best to stick with what you have. If you feel safer about it, put them on,” Weiss said.Putting the vehicle into neutral is also the way to go when traveling downhill."You want to go in neutral and take the force off the wheels,” said Weiss. “Try driving in first gear and you'll slide right off the road.”Running the air conditioner also helps to clear the windows faster than the defroster.“The way the air conditioner works, it sucks up the humidity and actually clears the windows,” said Weiss.As for the old myth of using bags of sand to add weight to the vehicle for traction, Weiss said it pays off."In older cars that don't have good traction, it helps,” said Weiss. Related Links:
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