10 Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Winter is in full swing. You can tell by the bare trees, early sunsets, and layer of frost every morning. If you haven’t winterized your home yet, there’s still time. Follow these winterization tips to keep your home safe, efficient and warm all winter.

1. Plan for Maintenance for Your Heating Equipment

Your furnace has been inactive all summer. To make preparations for another heating season, arrange for a visit from a qualified technician to inspect, clean and service the equipment. The most cost-effective way to keep your heating system in great shape over time is to enroll in a Maintenance+ membership.

2. Have Your Fireplace Inspected

Hire a professional to evaluate and clean your wood-burning stove or fireplace once a year. This service takes care of 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 suitable condition.

3. Seal Air Leaks

As you get ready to run your furnace in cold weather, try to find and seal air leaks that enable cold outdoor air to get inside. The quickest way to notice leaks is to hold a lit candle or incense stick near areas that could be leaky, including near windows and doors, recessed light fixtures, plumbing penetrations and electrical outlets. Then, seal the leaks you find with weatherstripping, caulk, foam gaskets and expanding spray foam.

4. Run Ceiling Fans in Reverse

Ceiling fans keep you cool in the summer, but they can also disperse warm air down to the living space over the winter. For the best results, set your fans on low and find the switch that lets them spin in reverse. This method is most effective in stairwells and rooms with high ceilings.

5. Install Insulating Drapes

Another way to winterize your home is to trade out light, summery window coverings for heavy, insulating drapes. Make sure to pull back the drapes during the day so the sun warms your home for free. Then, close the curtains after dark for added insulation against the brisk night air.

6. Insulate Your Pipes

As the temperature dips, exposed pipes are vulnerable to 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 additional 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 increases the risk of home fires and carbon monoxide poisoning over the winter. Use caution with matches, candles and other open flames, and make sure your smoke alarms are functional. Then, add CO detectors on every floor of your home, primarily outside sleeping areas. Test your alarms each month and swap out the batteries every six months.

8. Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat

Do you still use an old analog thermostat? You could save on heating bills this winter by installing 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 a modern option that lets you modify 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. Left alone, ice dams can allow water to flow under the shingles and damage things in the attic. Follow these tips to deter ice dams this winter:

• Clean the gutters so water can clear away like it should.
• Ventilate the attic to avoid heat buildup that can melt snow from below.
• Seal attic floor penetrations to stop warm air from rising through the ceiling.

• Insulate the attic floor to further decrease heat transfer through the ceiling.
• Seal and insulate ductwork up in the attic.
• Ensure your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans and the dryer vent lead outside, not into the attic.

10. Keep Deicer on Hand

Slips and falls are more common in icy winter weather. Keep your sidewalks and driveway safe for pedestrians by sprinkling salt, kitty litter or chemical deicer across the pavement to melt the ice and snow. Remember to read the directions for correct application tips and suggested precautions.

Winterizing Your Home with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning

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