12 Steps to Winterize your home - In Central PA things start to get cold about now. . . and stay very cold (often below freezing!) until the end of March. If your home is vacant - you can't just let it sit empty without preparing your home for the winter and if you are living in your home - these are still great ideas!
INSIDE YOUR HOME:
Service your heating system. Whether you hire a trained furnace technician or do a complete system check yourself, you should be checking your furnace to be sure it is in good working order. Refer to your owner’s manual for specific suggestions. And, of course, change your filter.
Install a carbon monoxide detector. If you have a furnace, fireplace, water heater, or other appliance that is fueled by propane or natural gas or if have an attached garage you should install a carbon monoxide detector. They are very inexpensive and can be purchased at many home centers and offer easy plug-in installation. As houses get closed up for the winter, the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning from malfunctioning gas appliances increases substantially.
Reverse that fan
Reversing your ceiling fan is a small tip that people don't often think of, by reversing its direction from the summer operation, the fan will push warm air downward and force it to recirculate, keeping you more comfortable. (Here's how you know the fan is ready for winter: As you look up, the blades should be turning clockwise.)
Check Smoke Detectors. Usually you are reminded at the end of Daylight Savings Time to change the batteries in your smoke detector. But, if you haven’t done so already, don’t neglect it any longer. If you have an older home with a limited number of smoke detectors, install additional ones at each sleeping room.
Upgrade your thermostat. Upgrade your thermostat to one that is programmable. They allow for easy setting and can be programed for different times of the day. An older thermostat can be off a couple degrees and also you can forget to set it down for the night resulting in wasted energy.
OUTSIDE YOUR HOME:
Check the gutters. Use a gutter sealant to seal any leaks. Check to be sure all gutters are clears of leaves and other debris.
Trim trees. Have a professional tree trimming service inspect over-hanging tree limbs and safely cut them back as needed. Trees overhanging your home can be a real hazard. They not only deposit debris on your roof, they can scrap against your home in storms, or worst of all, snap off.
Drain sprinkler systems. Now is the time to be thinking about having your sprinkler or irrigation systems blown out. This is also the time to show off outdoor faucets and remove hosing to prevent frozen or broken pipes.
Change light timers. Check outdoors lighting timers and change to reflect the earlier winter darkness.
Caulk. Caulking around windows, doors, pipes, or any other exterior areas that cold air may penetrate can make a big difference in heating bills.
Adjust exterior grade. Fall is a great time to look at the grade around your home to be sure that everything slopes away from your foundation. This will help you to avoid costly problems with ground water.
Wrap those pipes
A burst pipe caused by a winter freeze is a nightmare. Prevent it before Jack Frost sets his grip: Before freezing nights hit, make certain that the water to your hose bibs is shut off inside your house (via a turnoff valve), and that the lines are drained. Next, go looking for other pipes that aren't insulated, or that pass through unheated spaces -- pipes that run through crawlspaces, basements or garages. Wrap them with pre-molded foam rubber sleeves or fiberglass insulation, available at hardware stores. If you're really worried about a pipe freezing, you can first wrap it with heating tape, which is basically an electrical cord that emits heat.
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