Gaps around windows and doors have been plugged and the attic is insulated.
The water heater has been turned down and space heaters and warm blankets are spread around the house.
Even the family dog has a sweater. Good job; you've done almost everything needed to lessen winter's icy grip on your wallet. What else?
Try looking up.
Just because you don't have a fireplace doesn't mean you don't have a chimney - most furnaces vent through chimneys - and maintaining that stack of bricks attached to your roof is integral to your safety and financial well-being in this age of high fuel costs. Having an efficient chimney will not only save you money, it may keep you and your property safe from smoke and soot damage, carbon monoxide poisoning or chimney fires from built-up creosote, say experts.
Maintaining a chimney is not necessarily at do-it-yourself project since it involves a risky climb, various tools and a knowledge of the inner workings of chimneys. You may be best off leaving it to the professionals.
Those professionals say paying more attention to your house's chimney could save you a lot of money.
"Two hundred to $300 a year is flying up your chimney and you don't even know it," said Dave O'Shea, co-owner of All About Chimneys in Marblehead. "And that's just through the damper. Leaving your damper open is the equivalent of leaving a window open in the winter. You may as well open your door. Over the course of time you're losing thousands of dollars you don't have to lose."
David Smith of Cape Ann Chimney Sweeps in Gloucester concurs.
"We suggest people learn what the damper of their chimney is and what it's used for," said Smith, who advised homeowners to keep dampers closed when there's no fire because warm air will rise up the chimney, sucking heat out of the house.
Old-style, cast-iron "throat" dampers don't perform as well as newer top-sealing models, said O'Shea, who recommends damper replacement as one of the top things you should have done to your chimney this fall in order to save on heating costs.
More tips on chimneys:
1. Perform yearly inspection and maintenance
Reputable companies perform top-to-bottom visual inspections of chimneys - inside and out - looking for structural damage, cracks, missing bricks, broken dampers, fire hazards, water damage and more. Inspections are usually around $75 and many companies deduct that fee if work beyond a simple sweep of the chimney is needed.
Chimney sweeps generally cost between $140 and $250, depending on the company and its service area. All About Chimneys charges $180; Northern Chimney and Hearth in Salem, N.H., charges $139, $65 for a second flue within same chimney; and Cape Ann Chimney Sweeps gets $139 for a sweep.
"It's a very inexpensive thing to do to hire a chimney sweep to come in and take a look at your chimney," said Smith. "Relatively speaking, $139 is like an insurance policy."
Sweeps are usually performed from the top down with wire or plastic brushes on long rods, which are shoved up and down chimneys to remove soot deposits.
"Sweeping a chimney is just like you see in the movies; the technology hasn't changed much in 300 years," O'Shea said. "Think of it as a very large pipe cleaner."
2. Install a proper or efficient damper
Kevin Novy, owner of Northern Chimney and Hearth, installs lock-top dampers for $300, including labor. The sealing dampers, located at the top of chimneys, reduce loss of energy in all seasons.
"Lock-top dampers keep your heat from going out in the wintertime and keeps your air conditioning from going out in the summertime," said Novy, a Methuen resident.
3. Cap your chimney
"A chimney cap keeps out water and animals, and is a spark-arrester that keeps embers from going out onto your roof," according to Novy. His least expensive cap is stainless-steel and costs $80, including parts, labor and a warranty. Custom copper caps can run into the thousands.
4. Install a wood-, gas- or pellet-burning insert or stove into a masonry fireplace
Masonry fireplaces are not the most efficient heat sources - much of the warm air in the house escapes up the chimney when the damper is open. With an insert, you'll return more heat to the house than you'll lose.
5. If you have an old chimney, make sure it is properly lined
Many old homes have unlined flues. Make sure the flue is lined to accommodate the required British Thermal Units (BTUs) of the furnace. This way, your furnace can work more efficiently and the chance of blockage or blowback is reduced.
6. Don't ignore needed repairs
Some homeowners will spend thousands to remodel a bathroom or kitchen but balk at paying to have chimneys repaired. Regular maintenance is imperative, chimney sweeps agree, in order to avoid costly repairs. When repairs come up, don't ignore them because they will cost you more later, they say.
Getting help
To find an insured, accredited chimney professional, visit the Chimney Safety Institute of America's Web site, www.csia.org. CSIA is a nonprofit organization that certifies chimney sweeps.
