SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Since the snow and the temperature began falling, J.C. Caisse's phone has been ringing off the hook with homeowners looking for help to get their homes ready for winter.

J.C. Caisse of J.C.'s Plumbing, Heating and Oil Burner has been run off his feet with broken furnaces and boilers since the snow started to fall and the temperature dropped. - Nicole Veerman/NNSL photo

Caisse, the owner of J.C.'s Plumbing, Heating and Oil Burner, said the most common call is from people whose furnaces aren't working.

"They take priority," he said. "If someone's furnace is out, that's where I go."

There are a few things homeowners should consider as winter falls upon the city, said Caisse.

Number one is servicing your furnace, he said. Most furnaces need to be cleaned once a year and filters should be replaced every 30 to 60 days.

For homes with wood stoves, he said it is important to check and clean chimneys at least once a year.

If you're living in a trailer, Caisse said, it's equally as important to take a gander underneath your home to ensure there is no loose insulation or unusual leaking.

"For trailers it's very important to do a little bit of extra maintenance. It's not hard to insulate a skirting ... and it does save you money on fuel."

By insulating the skirting around a trailer, it can help prevent the freezing of water lines, said Caisse.

"Trailers are very subject to freezing. If you're in a house, there won't be problems. If you have heat, your waterlines are warm."

Caisse said there isn't much you can do for your roof in the winter time, except clean the gutters to avoid the build up of ice.

To keep heat in the house, Steve Outlet, program co-ordinator for Arctic Energy Alliance, recommends sealing up all the air leaks coming from the doors and windows in your home.

"The big thing is windows," he said. "They radiate the cold. They don't have to be drafty, it's just that cold surface, it comes to you. It's great to warm up that surface with some plastic."

Outlet said another great way to keep out the cold is to check the dryer vent outside your home to make sure the flap is closing when it is not in use.

"Otherwise it just turns your dryer into a huge ice cube in the middle of your house because all that cold air goes in there and that dryer is just cold."

An inexpensive fix to drafts is to install foam insulating gaskets behind outlets and lighting fixtures.

"It's inexpensive and they're great little draft stoppers," said Outlet.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.