Wednesday, October 17, 2018

The Importance of Winterizing your Home

Staying warm during the winter
There’s no better time than now to get your home prepared for the winter. Winterizing your home will help you avoid costly weather-related repairs that are so common in the cold months. Here’s what to focus on when winterizing your home:

Pipes
Frozen water can cause leaks and cracks in your water pipes. Piping is the most susceptible part of your home when it comes to cold weather damage, particularly pipes located in the attic, basement, crawl spaces, and near outer walls. Proper insulation will keep these outer pipes from freezing, but if they are not well-insulated, you need to take steps to ensure they withstand a cold snap. When the forecast calls for unusually cold temperatures, let water drip from hot and cold faucets overnight. Keeping cabinet doors open will allow warm air to circulate in places like below sinks. If you plan to leave your home for an extended period of time during cold temperatures, you should shut your water off completely.

Insulation
In addition to adding weather stripping and plastic wrap to doors and windows, you’ll want to add extra insulation in the attic to guard against ice dams. If too much heat escapes into the attic, it can warm the ice and snow on the roof. When it freezes again, it can cause an ice dam, which can lead to water damage inside your home or possibly even a roof collapse. We recommend calling a home insulation contractor to inspect your insulation and perform any upgrades if necessary.
Chimney Winter
Chimney
If your home has a wood-burning fireplace, you’ll want to get your chimney checked for soot buildup once a year, preferably in the fall before you begin using it regularly. Soot buildup can be very dangerous, posing a fire hazard and carbon monoxide poisoning risks.

Heating System
Your furnace is about to get its big annual workout, so now is the time to make sure it’s all tuned up and ready to go when winter hits. Have your furnace or boiler checked by a licensed contractor before the big freeze, and clean or replace your filter on forced air systems. Have your fuel tanks filled and keep an eye on the levels throughout winter. Stay energy-efficient by making sure your heat isn’t escaping through poor insulation or gaps in your windows and doors. Use weather stripping on doors and shrinkable plastic wrap on leaky windows.

If you need your furnace serviced or your filter replaced before winter comes, Wheeler’s Heating & Air Conditioning can help! We offer complete installation of new furnaces and air conditioners. We provide honest, reliable, and affordable service. We are available 24/7 and we will never charge you an extra fee for after hours, holidays, or weekends. Contact Wheeler’s today!