Winterizing Your Home

With winter upon us and the second major snow fall today, I think now is a good time to inspect your own home. Here are my top 5 ideas to stay warm and ahead of the winter cold:

1. Inspect Your Furnace
  Your furnace should be inspected annually. Call your heating professional today to service your furnace or boiler. If you have a hot air furnace, make sure to replace your air filters every other month.

2. Do you have oil in your tank?
  Don’t wait until the last minute to fill up your tank with oil. Get set up on an automatic delivery. The last thing that you want is an oil delivery when you are running on fumes with the possibility of a snow storm and the truck not being able to make a delivery.

3. Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
  CO2 is one of the biggest killers during the winter months. You can not smell it, hear it, or see it. If you are feeling dizzy make sure to get outside immediately. Hardwired CO2 Detectors are the best, but a plug-in or battery-operated will work as well.

4. Prevent Frozen Pipes
  Know where your water main is in the event you need to shut it off in emergency. Drain all garden hoses, insulate exposed plumbing pipes, and if you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.

5. Check the Exterior Doors and Window
  Use weather-stripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows. Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you do end up replacing the entire window, make sure to prime and paint exposed wood. If you have storm windows, now is the time to install them.