Now that fall is officially here, it's time to prepare your home for cold weather. These steps, most of which you can do yourself, will help lower your utility bills and protect your investment.
1. Tune Up Your Heating System:For about $80 to $100, a technician will inspect your furnace or heat pump to be sure the system is clean and in good repair, and that it can achieve its manufacturer-rated efficiency. The inspection also measures carbon-monoxide leakage.
2. Reverse Your Ceiling Fans:
If your ceiling fan has a reverse switch, use it to run the fan's blades in a clockwise direction after you turn on your heat. Energy Star says the fan will produce an updraft and push down into the room heated air from the ceiling (remember, hot air rises).
This is especially helpful in rooms with high ceilings -- and it might even allow you to turn down your thermostat by a degree or two for greater energy savings.
3. Hit the Roof:
Or at least scan it closely with binoculars. Look for damaged, loose or missing shingles that may leak during winter’s storms or from melting snow.
If need be, hire a handyman to repair a few shingles, or a roofer for a larger section; Check and repair breaks in the flashing seals around vent stacks and chimneys, too.
4. Clean the Gutters:
If your gutters are full of detritus, water can back up against the house and damage roofing, siding and wood trim -- plus cause leaks and ice dams.
You'll typically pay $70 to $225 to clean gutters on a single-story house, depending on its size. Also look for missing or damaged gutters and fascia boards and repair them.
5. Turn Off Exterior Faucets:
Undrained water in pipes can freeze, which will cause pipes to burst as the ice expands. Start by disconnecting all garden hoses and draining the water that remains in faucets.
If you don’t have frost-proof faucets (homes more than ten to 15 years old typically do not), turn off the shut-off valve inside your home.
6. Drain Your Lawn-Irrigation System:
But call in a professional to do the job. Your sprinkler service will charge $50 to $150, depending on the size of the system.
Draining sprinkler-system pipes, as with spigots, will help avoid freezing and leaks.
7. Prune trees around the house
If there are long tree branches hanging near your house, your roof, or your gutters, prune them before it gets too cold. Branches broken from heavy snow and ice can cause all kinds of damage to your home. A few hours with the pruner now could save you thousands of dollars in damages later this winter.
8. Test Your Sump Pump:
Slowly pour several gallons of water into the sump pit to see whether the pump turns on. You should do this every few months, but especially after a long dry season or before a rainy one.
For more complete instructions for testing and maintenance, check your owner’s manual. Most sump pumps last about ten years, according to Chubb Personal Insurance.
9. Divert Water:
Add extensions to downspouts so that water runs at least 3 to 4 feet away from the foundation; For example, Home Depot sells Amerimax Flex-a-Spout extension (which extends 25 to 55 inches).
10. Stock up on basics
You know what happens when the news calls for bad weather; stores flood with people, all buying milk, bread, batteries, flashlights, and duct tape by the truck load. How do you avoid this mess?
Stock up on basic supplies before winter, and stay cozy in your home.
Strong winds, blizzards, ice, and snow can cause blackouts and power outages, which can wreak havoc on your home in the winter.
Comments