Tips on Protecting Your Home for Cold Temperatures
When winter comes around, it’s crucial to prepare your home for the cold temperatures so you can enjoy your warm home. Now, follow these steps on how to prepare your home and appliances to keep up even in the cold winter times.
A popular problem with appliances is frozen pipes. Some ways to get rid of frozen pipes is to disconnect and drain your garden hoses. You can cover your outside faucets with insulation foam rollers. If you have outside faucets, then turn them off, and open valves on your faucet to allow them to drain. Also don’t forget to turn off your sprinkler system and blow compression air through the lines to drain them. You can close and cover your foundation vents under your windows and home to your basement. Always close your garage doors. Insulate your exposed pipes below your home with foam pipe insulation. Keep your cabinet doors under your sink open at all times. Drip your hot and cold faucets in kitchen and bath, and drip single control faucets with lever set in the middle, if you have one. Set your ice maker to make ice if the water line to it runs underneath your home. Always remember to check on pipes that go to your washing machine in the laundry room. Use a hair dryer, heat lamp, electric heat tape, or a portable space heater to thaw frozen pipes that have not burst. Just use anything in your home that may unthaw your pipes, and keep the faucet open while thawing the frozen pipes to allow water to flow through it.Once the weather gets above freezing and your frozen pipes have thawed, turn off the dripping faucets and monitor your water meter to check for not yet seen leaks.
Another thing that homeowners have to deal with is keeping your house very warm. If you want to have a nice warm home for the winter, then have your furnace inspected by a professional at Able Appliance before your home is going to be hit with the cold weather. Make sure that they check the heat exchanger, install a new air filter, and inspect the thermostat. Always inspect your fireplaces, and chimneys before using them. Also you may need to clean the fireplace or chimney before using it. Make sure you keep your drapes and blinds closed, but you can open them when windows are in direct sunlight. Put up storm windows, or install sheet plastic window insulation kits on the inside of your windows. Cover, or remove, any window air conditioners before winter weather rolls around. Insulate the electrical outlets in your home and switches on exterior walls with foam seals. These are available at home centers. If you have any cracks or holes, then caulk them on the outside of your home. Repair and replace your weather stripping and thresholds around your doors and windows. Run paddle ceiling fans on low in reverse, clockwise when looking up. This will create warm arm in your home. You can always put draft snakes on your window sills, between window frames, and against doors. If you heat with propane or fuel oil, make sure the tank is full before the cold temperatures arrive, and if you heat with wood or coal, have plenty of fuel on hand.
The last thing that Able Appliance wants you to know is how to stay safe. We think that safety is very important during the cool weather, so here are the last pieces of information you will need to know this winter. Always keep a stockpile of nonperishable food and water. In case of a storm, always keep your prescription refilled in advance. Keep your gas tank full at all times, and your phone percentages high. Always keep flashlights, batteries, a radio, a candle and a can opener accessible. Also, keep your smoke alarms working correctly always, and check if the batteries are working great. Lastly, keep have a working fire extinguisher in close reach for emergencies.
Use these tips for your home this winter for a great, warm, and safe season. These steps and tips will also help you have better running appliances and a better running home
