Did you know that when spring and summer arrive here in the United States it is fall and winter in other parts of the world? Crazy isn’t it? It always boggles my mind that during the Christmas holidays when we here in the States are freezing our tuchus off, it’s sunny and warm in Australia! As of this writing, it is Autumn in Australia.

So, with that being said, this post won’t seem quite so strange to you readers in the States. To help our friends prepare for the winter season, we suggest having a checklist of the things that you will need for the cold season. It could include things like your essentials – the basic needs like food, clothing, household groceries. Winter is fast approaching and as we all know, regardless of where we live, planning for the winter months requires a lot of things to be taken care of ahead of time!

Winter Checklist

Stock the Pantry

First things first, do a quick survey to see if you have enough food to last you through the winter months. Stock up on your essentials such as cereals, bread, and vegetables. Make sure you have enough staples to last you several weeks at the very least.

Prepare Your Wardrobe

Don’t wait and be a couch potato, allowing time to pass by and suddenly it’s freezing cold outside and you still have your summer wardrobe hanging in the closet.

Open that closet and make sure you are prepared with your cold season items. Is your winter coat in good condition? Do you have several scarves, gloves, boots, thick socks? Take stock of what you have, what you may need, and any of your winter gear that needs to be repaired or replaced – make sure it gets taken care of before the cold sets in.

Home Preparations

Making sure your cold weather gear is ready and having a pantry stocked is a great place to start, but if you have issues with your home’s insulation, door and window seals, a leaky roof, or a furnace that isn’t up to par – you definitely want to get these items taken care of way before the cold sets in to ensure your safety and health.

Checking your house’s insulation, windows, doors, roofs or furnace are just some of the necessary things to do to keep the extreme cold out and maintain the desired heat inside your rooms and house. Click here for tips on insulation. Your home should be your haven in this kind of weather. 

Remember that it is hard to find a contractor who is willing to come out and work during the winter months. The work itself can be tedious, and the weather conditions alone can prevent them from working as scheduled. This is why we constantly harp on getting these items done in the fall to avoid getting caught up with problems in the middle of winter.

Get Your Heating System Straight

So, with that being said, let’s take a look at two devices that most people use to keep their homes well-heated – coal boilers and furnaces.

These two heating systems are very popular in the United States. This article gives you an overview of what to expect in using outdoor coal boilers and outdoor coal furnaces in retaining the house’s warm temperature. 

People use different heating systems to provide warmth in their homes. Some heating systems are heat pumps and electric heating. The equipment keeps the temperature of the air inside the house in heat moderation. It can also be an extremely expensive method of heating your home without proper insulation and ensuring there are no cracks and crevices where the cold air can seep into the house around your doors and windows. 

It’s your home, so you are free to choose whatever you think will fit your needs. We know some homeowners who have literally tried almost EVERYTHING for comparison to determine what will give them the best quality, save them money, and require the least amount of effort to maintain and operate.

How do a furnace and boiler work? 

A furnace works by heating the air by using a blower. Through the air ducts, the warm air gets inside the house. On the other hand, a boiler works by heating the water and creating steam. The air gets to the pipes and then goes inside the house. Both the furnace and boiler work to supply warm air inside the house.  

What operates a furnace and a boiler? 

A furnace uses coal, charcoal, or wood as its fuel. It can also use natural gas, electricity and heating oil. On the other hand, a boiler uses natural gas, coal biodiesel blends, or electricity. Though these two heating sources have similar fuels, they still have different energy efficiency and functions based on how they emit warm air to your home. Furnace and boiler use fuels to function and release air into the house. 

Which one is a better choice for your house?

According to https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-saver-101-infographic-home-heating, when it comes to energy efficiency, a furnace and boiler play closely on this category. Moreover, a boiler is much easier to refill with its fuel compared to a furnace, which will take you more time to fill it up with coal. 

In addition to that, getting a coal boiler will only supply warm air inside the rooms that you are using, so it saves energy and money. Therefore, getting a boiler is a better choice compared to a furnace. 

So there you have it! I hope this information has been helpful to you in getting you prepared for the winter months. Be sure to leave a comment and let us know if you have other tips and tidbits of information to share with our readers to help them keep warm during the winter as well!

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