What you need to know to protect your home this winter
Winter-proofing your home can prevent time, hassle, money, and provides you with the peace of mind of getting adequate protection against air leaks and burst pipes. Here are our top tips to stop seasonal hazards and protect your home from winter damage.
Inspect and Seal Air Leaks
Gaps in your windows, skylights, chimneys, vents, door frames and crawl spaces might be allowing the maximum amount as 30% of your heated air to leak outdoors, resulting in increased utility bills.
To detect leaks, use a laser infrared thermal or just move a lit candle around a door or framework . If there is a draft, the flame will blow towards you. Seal the world with proper weather strip or caulking to stay the cold air out and therefore the warm air in. Use caulk for little drafts and foam sealer for bigger gaps.
If your house is still feeling a touch chilly after you’ve sealed the openings, it’d be time for an insulation upgrade. Installing insulation are often moderately difficult and is best left within the hands of a trained professional. this will be costly, but the payback are often huge as you save on your monthly utility bills. We recommend hiring knowledgeable technician to make sure proper installation.
Insulate Water Pipes
Water damage linked to frozen and burst pipes account for the most important share of house owners insurance claims, costing consumers $5,000 and more in damages. Being proactive and insulating your pipes costs as little as 50 cents per linear foot for any exposed copper or PVC hookah .
Use pipe insulation on both your hot and cold water pipes underneath sinks, on exterior walls, in attics, and particularly within the basement where quite a 3rd of frozen and burst pipes occur.
Frozen pipes can cause cracks within the plumbing, causing flood and water damage to your property. If you think that your pipes are frozen, call a plumber immediately. within the meantime, adjust the temperature inside your home to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius and open the recent and cold taps to facilitate the flow of water when the lines start to thaw.
Service Your Fireplace And Furnace Annually
The biggest explanation for household fires is linked to fireplaces, furnaces, and other heat sources. Regular maintenance of your furnace and hot-water heater includes an annual inspection to wash the ducts, replace filters, and check for any damages to the burners.
We recommend regularly cleaning the chimney and traps to stop build-up for wood-burning fireplaces. confirm to shut the flue after the fireside has cooled to stop heated or cooled air flying up the chimney. Gas fireplaces should be inspected to make sure that the vents are clear and therefore the gas connections are functioning safely.
If you’re worried about fumes from gas or other toxins, an easy carbon monoxide gas detector plugged into a wall outlet can prevent and your family’s lives.
Replace Furnace Filters
A dirty filter reduces the efficiency and shortens the lifetime of a furnace, leading to a rise in your utility bill.
Prevent the high cost of replacing a broken furnace by changing the filter monthly within the winter months or every three months while the system is working . Pleated filters work best for trapping more dirt particles.
Prepare for Unexpected Storms
The best course of action to stay your household safe during unpredictable winter weather is to be proactive and ready . Keep candles, matches, and a flashlight in places which will be easily and safely accessed during an influence outage. refill on food, water, medical supplies, blankets, and other necessities just in case of utmost weather which may keep you stranded indoors.
Clear your walkways, driveways, and gutters of snow and ice to stop slippery surfaces and to stop thawing snow from getting into your home.
Check the outside of your home including the roof, gutters, trees, and surrounding walkways. Loose building material is vulnerable to the load of heavy snowfalls and may cause premature leaking. Clearing the gutters and downspouts ensures the melting snow to flow off from your property and stop water from seeping into your home.
Avoid unnecessary problems caused by broken branches and unsecured landscaping items which will be dislodged, running the danger of major damage to your home or injuring you or your family.
Install A Programmable Thermostat
A simple programmable thermostat are often purchased at your local ironmongery shop for about $50 and may prevent up to $180 a year on fuel costs. The thermostat automatically lowers or raises your home’s temperature while you’re away and keeps the temperature consistent, saving you fuel and money within the end of the day .
Lower the recent Water Temperature
Lower your hot-water heater to 120 degrees to save lots of on fuel. additionally , you’ll reduce the danger of accidental burns and therefore the water will still be hot enough for baths, laundry, and doing dishes.