10 Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Winter is finally here. 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 during winter.

1. Schedule Maintenance for Your Home’s Heating

Your furnace has been dormant all summer. To prepare it for another heating season, schedule a visit from a qualified technician to inspect, clean and tune up the equipment. The most affordable way to keep your heating system in tip-top shape over the years is to sign up for a Maintenance+ membership.

2. Have Your Fireplace Inspected

Hire a professional to inspect and clean your wood-burning stove or fireplace annually. This service clears away ash, soot and creosote buildup, which can trigger chimney fires. It also grants you peace of mind that the masonry, chimney liner, crown, and other fireplace components are in excellent condition.

3. Seal Air Leaks

As you start to run your furnace in cold weather, try to find and seal air leaks that will allow cold outdoor air to get inside. The easiest way to discover leaks is to hold a lit candle or incense stick in areas that may be leaky, including near windows and doors, recessed light fixtures, plumbing penetrations and electrical outlets. Then, seal the leaks you’ve found 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 better results, set your fans on low and flip the switch to run them in reverse. This tactic is ideal for stairwells and rooms with tall ceilings.

5. Install Insulating Drapes

Another way to winterize your home is to swap out thin, 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, shut the curtains after dark for added insulation against the frigid night air.

6. Insulate Your Pipes

As the temperature drops, exposed pipes are at risk of freezing and bursting. Add foam pipe insulation to plumbing in the garage, crawlspace or unfinished basement to prevent this. Electric heat tape under the insulation creates an added layer of protection in especially cold 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 functional. Then, install CO detectors on every floor of your home, particularly close to sleeping areas. Test your alarms each month and change the batteries every six months.

8. Upgrade to a Programmable Thermostat

Do you still have an old analog thermostat? You can save on heating bills this winter by upgrading to a programmable model. Pre-programmed settings optimize the temperature at different times of the day, so you can set it and forget it. A Wi-Fi thermostat is an innovative option with the capability to change the settings remotely by using an internet-enabled device. You also benefit from automatically generated energy reports and maintenance advice.

9. Prevent Ice Dams

Ice dams are ridges of ice that form along the eaves, stopping melted snow from falling off the roof. Left alone, ice dams can allow water to get under the shingles and damage structures in the attic. Use these tips to deter ice dams this winter:

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

• Insulate the attic floor to further decrease heat transfer through the ceiling.
• Seal and insulate ductwork running through the attic.
• Ensure 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 sprinkling salt, kitty litter or chemical deicer on the pavement to melt the ice and snow. Be sure to read the directions for proper application tips and recommended precautions.

Winterizing Your Home with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning

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