Winter-proofing your house is essential for protecting your property, ensuring safety, and reducing energy costs during colder months. It involves a variety of tasks, from simple DIY fixes to more complex procedures, that can save you money on energy bills and prevent costly damages.
Here's a comprehensive guide on the best ways to winter-proof your house:
1. Seal Drafts and Improve Insulation
* Check for air leaks: Walk around your home, indoors and outdoors, to find cracks or holes near windows, doors, your foundation, and where pipes and cables enter. You can use a lit candle to detect drafts around windows and door frames.
* Caulk and weatherstrip: Seal any gaps or openings around windows, doors, air conditioners, and mail chutes with caulk or weather stripping to prevent cold air from entering and warm air from escaping.
* Insulate windows: For an inexpensive and easy solution, use plastic indoor window insulator kits. You can also hang heavy curtains or install cellular shades for an extra layer of insulation, or consider upgrading to double or triple-glazed windows for better energy efficiency.
* Add insulation: Ensure your attic, walls, and basement have adequate insulation. Adding more insulation if needed is crucial for retaining heat and maximizing energy efficiency, as a significant amount of heat loss can occur through openings in the attic.
* Use foam outlet protectors: These can help prevent cold air from entering through electrical outlets.
2. Protect Your Pipes
* Insulate exposed pipes: Wrap any exposed pipes in unheated areas like basements, crawl spaces, and garages with self-seal foam insulation or heat tape to prevent them from freezing and bursting.
* Disconnect hoses and turn off outdoor faucets: Remove all garden hoses, drain them, and store them away. Shut off the valves to exterior faucets from inside your home and drain any remaining water from the pipes.
* Drain irrigation systems: If you have a lawn irrigation system, drain it to prevent sprinklers from breaking.
* Drip faucets: When temperatures drop below freezing, keep a small stream of water running from a few faucets (both hot and cold) to prevent pipes from freezing.
* Open cabinet doors: Under kitchen and bathroom sinks, open cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes.
* Know your main water shut-off: Familiarize yourself with the location of your main water shut-off valve in case of a pipe emergency.
* Consider an emergency pressure release valve: This can protect against increased pressure from freezing pipes and help prevent them from bursting.
* For vacant homes: If leaving for an extended period, turn off the main water supply and consider having the plumbing system drained. You can also pour non-toxic antifreeze into toilet tanks and bowls, and close sink and tub drains.
3. Maintain Your Heating System
* Professional inspection and tune-up: Schedule an annual professional inspection and maintenance for your furnace or boiler to ensure it runs efficiently. Replace air filters regularly (every three months) to ensure optimal airflow and clean operation.
* Set thermostat effectively: Set your thermostat to at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. When you're home, 68°F is recommended, and a lower setting when away or sleeping. If you're traveling, set it to at least 50°F to prevent pipes from freezing.
* Install a programmable or smart thermostat: This allows you to set temperature variations throughout the day, control heating remotely, and optimize energy savings.
* Reverse ceiling fans: Change the direction of your ceiling fans to rotate clockwise. This pushes warm air down into the living spaces, helping to increase comfort and reduce heating costs.
* Bleed radiators: If your radiators aren't heating evenly, you may need to bleed them to release trapped air.
* Clean heating and ventilation systems: Ensure all vents are clean and unobstructed.
* Lower water heater temperature: Water heating accounts for a significant portion of home energy use. Lowering the temperature or using a water heater blanket can reduce your energy bill.
* Consider radiator reflectors: Placing foil-covered card behind radiators can reflect heat back into the room, making it warm up faster and retain more heat.
4. Inspect and Maintain the Exterior
* Clean gutters and downspouts: Remove leaves, twigs, and other debris to prevent blockages, ice dams, and potential water damage to your roof and exterior walls.
* Inspect roof: Check for any loose, missing, frayed, or damaged shingles. Repair them to prevent leaks and water infiltration.
* Prune trees and shrubs: Trim back branches that overhang your home or power lines to prevent damage from heavy snowfall or ice.
* Inspect exterior walls: Look for any developing cracks and seal them to keep water out, preventing major damage from freezing and thawing.
* Prepare your fireplace and chimney: Have your chimney professionally cleaned and inspected to remove creosote buildup and prevent chimney fires. Install a chimney cap or screen and close the damper when not in use to prevent heat loss.
* Maintain driveways and sidewalks: Keep them clear of ice and snow, and repair any issues with steps and handrails to prevent slips and falls. Keep de-icing salt handy.
* Store outdoor items: Clean and store outdoor furniture, grills, and garden equipment in a dry place like a basement or garage, or use protective covers.
* Drain small gas-powered engines: Winterize equipment like lawnmowers by draining their fuel.
* Check sump pump: Test your sump pump to ensure it's working correctly as a defense against floods and condensation.
5. Enhance Safety and Prepare for Emergencies
* Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors: Residential fires are more common in winter, so ensure all detectors are working and replace batteries as needed.
* Prepare an emergency kit: Stock up on essentials like flashlights, batteries, blankets, and bottled water in case of a winter storm or power outage.
* Know about power outages: Be prepared for potential winter power outages by having flashlights and blankets readily available.
* Clean dryer vents: Remove built-up lint to reduce fire risk and improve energy efficiency, especially since dryers get more use in colder months.
By addressing these areas, you can significantly improve your home's comfort, safety, and energy efficiency throughout the winter season.