10 Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Winter is in full swing. You can tell by the leafless trees, early sunsets, and layer of frost in the 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 all winter.

1. Plan for Maintenance for Your Home’s Heating

Your furnace has been dormant all summer. To get it ready for another heating season, arrange for a visit from a qualified technician to evaluate, clean and tune up the equipment. The most cost-effective way to keep your heating system in great shape over time is to subscribe to a Maintenance+ membership.

2. Have Your Fireplace Inspected

Call a professional to examine and clean your wood-burning stove or fireplace once per year. This service removes ash, soot and creosote buildup, which can trigger chimney fires. It also gives 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 all winter, look for and seal air leaks that enable cold outdoor air to get inside. The easiest way to notice leaks is to hold a lit candle or incense stick near areas that might be leaky, including near windows and doors, recessed light fixtures, plumbing penetrations and electrical outlets. Then, seal the leaks up with weatherstripping, caulk, foam gaskets and expanding spray foam.

4. Use Ceiling Fans in Reverse

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

5. Install Insulating Drapes

An additional way to winterize your home is to exchange light, summery window coverings for thick, insulating drapes. Remember to pull back the drapes during the day so the sun can warm your home for free. Then, close the curtains after dark for increased insulation against the frigid 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 minimize the risk. Electric heat tape under the insulation gives you an extra layer of protection in particularly frigid 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 during the winter. Be careful with matches, candles and other open flames, and make sure your smoke alarms are working. Then, add CO detectors on every floor of your home, especially close to sleeping areas. Test your alarms every month and change the batteries every six months.

8. Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat

Do you still own an old analog thermostat? You might save on heating bills this winter by getting a programmable model. Pre-programmed settings fine-tune the temperature at different times of the day, so you can set it and forget it. A Wi-Fi thermostat is an innovative option that lets you adjust the settings remotely with an internet-enabled device. You also benefit from automatically generated energy reports and maintenance tips.

9. Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams are ridges of ice that appear along the eaves, stopping melted snow from melting off the roof. Left unaddressed, ice dams can allow water to reach under the shingles and damage structures in the attic. Try these tips to prevent ice dams this winter:

• Clean the gutters so water can clear away like it should.
• Ventilate the attic to prevent heat buildup that can melt snow from underneath.
• Seal attic floor penetrations to stop heated 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.
• Confirm your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans and the dryer vent lead outdoors, not into the attic.

10. Keep Deicer Handy

Slips and falls are notably common in icy winter weather. Keep your sidewalks and driveway safe for pedestrians by applying salt, kitty litter or chemical deicer along the pavement to melt the ice and snow. Be sure to read the directions for specific application tips and suggested precautions.

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

Many winterization tips relate primarily to your home heating, cooling, and plumbing equipment. If you need help winterizing your home, call Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We offer excellent furnace maintenance and repair, plumbing support, and other services to prepare you for cold weather. For more details about our services or to request an estimate, please contact your local Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing office today.