(NAPSI)—You can be better able to keep your home cozy and comfortable when it’s cold outside when you consider these four tips:

• Drain outdoor water sources: Before the next big freeze, make sure to drain all hoses, outdoor faucets and irrigation systems of any remaining water and cover exposed areas with some form of insulation. Leftover water can expand when it freezes, causing pipes to burst.
• Clean your gutters: Branches, leaves and debris have likely been falling onto your roof and making a permanent home in your gutters. It’s important to keep gutters free of debris so water drains properly. Blocked gutters can create ice dams, letting water leak back into the house and cause roof damage.
• Inspect the furnace: The last thing anyone wants to deal with when colder weather arrives is the furnace not working. Get your furnace inspected every autumn to check functionality and efficiency. A proactive inspection also keeps you safe from allergens and excess levels of carbon monoxide.
• Keep the heat inside: While one of the best ways to control the temperature inside your house is through insulation, more than 30 percent of the energy used to heat and cool a room depends on the windows. That’s why installing a window film, such as 3M Thinsulate Window Film Climate Control Series, can increase a window’s insulation value, so a single-pane window performs close to a double-pane and a double-pane close to a triple-pane.

Another way to maximize energy efficiency can be to install 3M Sun Control Window Film Prestige Series. It rejects 97 percent of infrared light and 99 percent or more of damaging UV rays.

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For further facts about window film or to find a 3M Authorized Window Film Dealer nearby, visit www.3M.com/windowfilm.