Leaves are changing, days are getting shorter, Jack Frost is nipping at your nose. You may have even lit a fire once or twice already. But wait – have you winterized your home yet?
Winterizing your home is quick and easy to do, but it’s critically important to schedule boiler replacements in Doylestown and other winterization tasks before temperatures start plummeting. Listen to the Coop: take the time now to complete the following list and you can rest easy all winter long!
- Remove your hoses from frost-free hose bibs (also called frost-free spigots. Although you may think you turn off the spigot right where the handle is located by the flowing water, the actual on/off valve is located at the other end of the pipe, inside your house where the temperatures stay above freezing.When you disconnect your hose, any remaining water in the pipe will drain out, protecting the valve from freezing. If the hose isn’t disconnected, the water cannot drain and the spigot may freeze and burst (usually in the wall). You won’t know there’s a problem until Spring when you go to use the water. What a mess – don’t go there! If an outdoor spigot is left to drip throughout the cold weather months, it may accumulate ice and burst also. Don’t try to put a cap on it as this will only make it worse. To summarize, close the spigot, disconnect your hose, and take one last look at the spigot the next day. If it’s not dripping, you’re all set.If your home is older and doesn’t have frost-free hose bibs, or if you have an outside shower, pool house or any other water source that has piping, do yourself a favor and call a professional to make sure that water is properly drained. This way, come spring, you’ll be ready to enjoy outdoor activities – not fix problems.
- Re-program your Wi-Fi thermostats. Make sure that your home temperature is programmed to be comfortable in the cold weather.Often, home owners have different comfort requirements in the winter. Take advantage of newer technology that allows you to change the temperature at specific times through a programmable WIFI system. For instance, at night, many people like to sleep under the blankets with the house temperature colder. Then, in the morning, they want the house warmed up a bit before their toes touch the bare floor.Or, perhaps you have a cabin in the country. With your programmable Wi-Fi thermostat, you can turn up the heat while you’re driving up to the house, and you’ll be toasty warm as soon as you enter the front door.
- Be sure to turn on your Aprilaire humidifier and clean the water panel or drum. Your furniture, your wood floors and your sinuses will thank you!
- Change your air filter. Be sure your heating system has a clean air filter that will catch particles in the air. This is especially important for any of you who have allergies or asthma.
- Make sure your system has been recently serviced and inspected by a professional, such as one of our Cooper Mechanical service technicians. They will check out all your equipment and make sure everything is in good condition and ready for use. Don’t have a maintenance agreement? Now is the time to sign up. By the way, you can sign-up directly on our website.• Last, but not least, winterize the rest of your home—it’s not just your and HVAC system and outdoor plumbing that need to be prepared. Find a professional to clean your wood-burning fireplace, if you have one, so that you can enjoy it throughout the winter. Spruce up your home and lawn to give it a tidy, cozy winter look: mow your lawn one last time and treat it for a greener backyard come spring, trim your shrubs, remove your dead annuals and, if you have an herb garden, freeze or dry them and use them for cooking. Now is also the perfect time to touch up your house’s exterior paint trim before it gets too cold. Don’t forget to top-off your car’s windshield wiper fluid so that your travels are unhindered and stock up on snowmelt to minimize slippery sidewalk conditions.
After you’ve completed these tasks, sit back with a cup of grog and relax.
