How do you winter proof your house and save on your energy bill? Well, nowadays, houses are built to withstand an enormous amount of wear and tear. However, there is no amount of durability that can protect your home from the frigid conditions of winter.
By taking certain preventative measures to winter proof your home, you can easily avoid any damages caused by sub-zero temperatures.
Here are some ways you can winterize your home and keep it protected from unnecessary damage:
1. Winter Proof Your Sewer Lines
When water becomes trapped in your sewer line, and the temperature drops to below 0, it can freeze and expand. This causes blockages in your pipe.
You’ll know your sewer lines are frozen when no water comes through the faucets, there is frost on the pipes or there is a foul smell coming from the drainage system.
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1. Insulate the pipes
Simply wrap insulation around the plumbing lines and secure with tape.
2. Seal off outside vents in basement or crawlspace
This will limit the amount of cold air that can access your pipes.
3. Check your water heater’s temperature
You may have to turn the heater up by a couple of degrees in the winter to maintain a proper temperature.
A frozen pipe can lead to a broken or burst pipe, so it is best to winter proof your sewer lines.
2. Update Your Thermostats
Before the cold weather hits and you find yourself cranking up the heat, you may want to consider upgrading your thermostat as a simple way to winter proof your house.
While regular thermostats allow you to adjust the temperature in your home, a programmable (or “smart”) thermostat will make automatic adjustments to the temperature based on the temperature you input or the schedule you set.
For example, you can program a smart thermostat to turn the heat down after you leave the house for work and turn it back on before you get home. This way, you are not wasting heat during the day yet your home will be comfortably warm when you get back.
Using a programmable thermostat will help keep your energy bill low while helping your home maintain a consistent temperature. This will help keep important components of your home from freezing or malfunctioning during the wintertime.
3. 8 Great Exterior Winter Proofing Tips
The key to preparing the exterior of your home for winter is to begin during the fall before the cold weather hits. The last thing you want to do during frigid weather is perform maintenance on the outside of your home.
Plus, if you wait until winter, it may be too late.
So before the cold weather blows in, winterize the exterior of your house by following these tips:
- Check your roof for damage or gaps.
- Make sure the top of your chimney is sealed around the flue.
- Clean out your gutters and make sure they are properly secured to your house.
- Keep your sump pump discharge pipe above the ground and insulated.
- Check the weather stripping around your exterior doors.
- Remove, drain and store your garden hoses.
- Remove leaves from any drainage channels around the property.
- Also look for any cracks or leaks around windows, pipes and vents.
Preventing drafts will help to keep you electrical bill down during the winter.
Get Ready for Winter!
No one looks forward to when it’s time to winter proof their home. But, with a few key steps, you can easily prevent extensive and expensive damage to your home due to cold weather. Then, when it’s time to sell your home, the inspection will go wonderfully!
As they say;
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Take the time to winterize your home and enjoy the comfort of knowing you, your family and your house are comfortable and secure.
