There’s a lot more to Winterize Your Home than doing the obvious – like turning on the heat, putting away summer deck furniture and garden hoses, cleaning your gutters to prevent ice dams, and so on.
No, if you really want to prevent repair issues and the resulting costs associated with them, you’ll want to expand your “must do” list considerably, including with the following items from Norhio Plumbing.
Protect the pipes.
Protect against frozen pipes by insulating those that could be susceptible to freezing. With severe temperature drops, keep a stream of water running in a few faucets to guard against freezing and bursting.
Seal the cracks.
Caulk around holes and openings to help prevent cold air from seeping in. Install weather stripping and sealant around openings such as windows, doors, air conditioners and mail chutes.
Inspect Your Roof
While you conduct a visual inspection of your roof, look for sections where the shingles are cracking, bending, or just plain missing. Loose screws and rusted panels should also be checked to see if there are leaks in the making.
Check Your Snowblower
If you haven’t run your snowblower in a while, you’ll probably want to change the motor oil, spark plug and air filter before firing it up. Once that basic maintenance is out of the way, turn it on to ensure that everything is running smoothly. You should also lubricate the chute, levers and linkage.
Have Your Heating System Tuned Up
Replace your furnace filter and schedule a service appointment so your heating system is ready to go before you need it. This might mean scheduling a service call when you’ve got your AC pumping during the summer because service appointments can be hard to get during the height of the season. Once the heating system is underway, clean or replace your filter roughly every eight weeks to keep it working at full capacity.
Monitor Low Temperatures
While it’s common to save on heating costs by lowering your thermostat when you’re not home, don’t set it too low. As a rule of thumb, your home shouldn’t drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. When temperatures fall lower, you risk freezing and bursting pipes. Should the worst happen, be prepared by first installing water and flood detectors that notify you immediately via a mobile app in case of a burst pipe.
At Norhio Plumbing, there’s a great deal we can do to help secure your home against cold and harsh winter conditions. Contact us today to schedule a whole-house plumbing inspection, and you’ll be well on your way toward a more comfortable and secure winter.
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