10 Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Winter is finally here. You can tell by the bare trees, early nights, and layer of frost each morning. If you haven’t winterized your home yet, you still have time. Use these winterization tips to keep your home safe, efficient and warm this winter.

1. Request Maintenance for Your Heating Equipment

Your furnace has been unused all summer. To prepare it for another heating season, schedule a visit from a qualified technician to inspect, clean and tune up the equipment. The most affordable way to keep your heating system in great shape over the years is to enroll in a Maintenance+ membership.

2. Have Your Fireplace Inspected

Hire a professional to inspect and clean your wood-burning stove or fireplace once a year. This service removes ash, soot and creosote buildup, which can result in chimney fires. It also gives you peace of mind that the masonry, chimney liner, crown, and other fireplace components are in good condition.

3. Seal Air Leaks

As you prepare to run your furnace in cold weather, search for 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, such as near windows and doors, recessed light fixtures, plumbing penetrations and electrical outlets. Then, seal the leaks you’ve found with weatherstripping, caulk, foam gaskets and expanding spray foam.

4. Keep Ceiling Fans in Reverse

Ceiling fans keep you cool over the summer, but they can also circulate warm air down to the living space in the winter. For best results, set your fans on low and run them in reverse. This tactic is ideal for stairwells and rooms with vaulted ceilings.

5. Install Insulating Drapes

A different way to winterize your home is to swap out thin, summery window coverings for heavy, insulating drapes. Make sure to pull back the drapes during the day so the sun continues warming your home for free. Then, pull the curtains after dark for additional insulation against the cold night air.

6. Insulate Your Pipes

As the temperature falls, exposed pipes are at risk of freezing and bursting. Install foam pipe insulation to plumbing in the garage, crawlspace or unfinished basement to keep this from happening. Electric heat tape underneath the insulation gives you an extra layer of protection in particularly cold climates.

7. Install Smoke Alarms & Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Sealing up your house, baking more and heating with combustion appliances raises the risk of home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning during the winter. Use caution with matches, candles and other open flames, and make sure your smoke alarms are functioning. Then, put in CO detectors on every floor of your home, primarily outside sleeping areas. Test your alarms every month and swap out the batteries twice yearly.

8. Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat

Do you still have an old analog thermostat? You could save on heating bills this winter by upgrading to a programmable model. Pre-programmed settings fine-tune the temperature throughout 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 with 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 form along the eaves, stopping melted snow from melting off the roof. When ignored, ice dams can allow water to get under the shingles and damage structures in the attic. Follow these tips to prevent ice dams this winter:

• • Clean the gutters so water can drain like it should.

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

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

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

• • Seal and insulate ductwork inside the attic.

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

10. Keep Deicer Close By

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

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

Many winterization tips relate primarily to your home heating, cooling,and plumbing systems. If you need help winterizing your home, reach out to Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We offer affordable furnace maintenance and repair, plumbing work, and other services to prepare the house 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.