10 Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Winter is in full swing. You can tell by the barren trees, early sunsets, and layer of frost each morning. If you haven’t winterized your home yet, you still have time. Follow these winterization tips to keep your home safe, efficient and warm all winter.

1. Plan for Maintenance for Your Home’s Heating

Your furnace has been inactive all summer. To prepare it for another heating season, schedule a visit from a qualified technician to examine, clean and tune up the equipment. The most cost-efficient way to keep your heating system in tip-top shape over the years is to subscribe to a Maintenance+ membership.

2. Have Your Fireplace Inspected

Call a professional to evaluate and clean your wood-burning stove or fireplace once a year. This service clears away ash, soot and creosote buildup, which can cause chimney fires. It also provides you peace of mind that the masonry, chimney liner, crown, and other fireplace components are in excellent condition.

3. Seal Air Leaks

As you get ready to run your furnace more often, try to find and seal air leaks that allow cold outdoor air to get inside. The best way to find leaks is to hold a lit candle or incense stick in areas that might be leaky, including near windows and doors, recessed light fixtures, plumbing penetrations and electrical outlets. Then, seal the leaks you find with weatherstripping, caulk, foam gaskets and expanding spray foam.

4. Run Ceiling Fans in Reverse

Ceiling fans keep you cool during the summer, but they can also distribute warm air down to the living space in the winter. For best results, set your fans on low and find the switch that lets them spin in reverse. This method is ideal for stairwells and rooms with tall ceilings.

5. Install Insulating Drapes

A different way to winterize your home is to swap out light, summery window coverings for thicker, insulating drapes. Remember to pull back the drapes during the day so the sun continues warming your home for free. Then, shut the curtains after dark for additional insulation against the brisk night air.

6. Insulate Your Pipes

As the temperature dips, exposed pipes are in danger of freezing and bursting. Add foam pipe insulation to plumbing in the garage, crawlspace or unfinished basement to keep this from happening. Electric heat tape underneath the insulation provides an extra layer of protection in very cold climates.

7. Install Smoke Alarms & Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Sealing up your house, baking more and heating with combustion appliances elevates the risk of home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning over the winter. Exercise caution with matches, candles and other open flames, and make sure your smoke alarms are functional. Then, put in CO detectors on every floor of your home, primarily outside sleeping areas. Test your alarms every month and replace the batteries twice a year.

8. Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat

Do you still have an old analog thermostat? You can save on heating bills this winter by upgrading to a programmable model. Pre-programmed settings optimize the temperature at various times of the day, so you can set it and forget it. A Wi-Fi thermostat is a modern option that lets you change the settings remotely using an internet-enabled device. You also benefit from automatically generated energy reports and maintenance recommendations.

9. Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams are ridges of ice that appear along the eaves, stopping melted snow from draining off the roof. Left alone, ice dams can allow water to reach under the shingles and damage structural elements in the attic. Use these tips to avoid ice dams this winter:

• • Clean the gutters so water can flow properly.

• • Ventilate the attic to avoid heat buildup that can melt snow from beneath.

• • Seal attic floor penetrations to stop hot air from rising through the ceiling.

• • Insulate the attic floor to further decrease heat transfer through the ceiling.

• • Seal and insulate ductwork running through the attic.

• • Confirm your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans and the dryer vent lead outside, not into the attic.

10. Keep Deicer Handy

Slips and falls are particularly common in freezing winter weather. Keep your sidewalks and driveway safe for pedestrians by scattering salt, kitty litter or chemical deicer along the pavement to melt the ice and snow. Be sure to read the directions for proper application tips and recommended precautions.

Winterizing Your Home with Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

Many winterization tips relate directly to your home heating, cooling,and plumbing utilities. If you need help winterizing your home, call Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We offer quality furnace maintenance and repair, plumbing support, and other services to prepare your home for winter weather. For more info about our services or to {request|schedule|arrange]] an estimate, please contact your local Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing office today.