Winterizing and What you should know

It’s the Most Wonderful time of the year! Until you get that electric bill. Yikes! Here are some easy tips to reduce your energy consumption during cold months and get your home winter ready.

• Weatherstripping is a must! Weatherstripping or even installing storm doors and windows will prevent cold air from entering your home or heat from escaping it. Caulk and insulation is also a great way to prevent heat loss. Caulk can be used around windows and foam outlet protectors can also help to prevent cold air from entering your home. A large majority of heat loss can also occur via openings in the attic, so check to make sure that you have enough insulation.
• Run a heating system check. This includes running a test of your furnace or heating system to make sure it is working properly, replacing the filter, cleaning the area around and potentially vacuuming duct work. Be sure to check the fuel supply and that there are proper carbon monoxide alarms nearby. Boilers and electric heat require cleaning and servicing as well. If you are not sure about servicing your heating system yourself, contact a heating specialist.

• Water supply pipes are particularly susceptible to cold weather and freezing, and exposed drain pipes can also occasionally freeze. So it is important to systematically review the plumbing pipes in your home. If you have any exposed water pipes in uninsulated spaces, such as in a crawlspace, attic, exterior walls, etc., make sure to insulate them. Ideally, you should wrap them with electrical heating tape first, then insulate them. With exterior pipes, known as hose bibbs or sill-cocks, these exterior faucets need to have their water supply turned off inside the house, and you also need to drain water from them by opening up the exterior faucets and remember to disconnect your garden hoses from the sill-cocks or outside faucets, and drain them.
• Get out your snow gear and have it close by. One neglected detail is always the snow removal tools. When it is cold, the last thing you want to do is throw a coat on and try and dig through the garage for a snow shovel or ice scraper. Keep a shovel close by the door you exit out of, along with an ice scraper or snow brush for your vehicle, will help save time during those cold mornings.

Need more great tips for getting your home ready for Winter? Looking to sell and move to the beach, or just want to move to a home with an HOA that gets rid of that pesky snow for you? Contact us for more tips or to get started selling your home today!

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