Easy Steps For Winterizing Your Home

By Author: Jason Delmar
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Even though we are half way through winter, there are several steps you can take to winterize your home and help cut down on your energy bill. If you are not leaving for an extended period of time some of these tips and suggestions may not be right for you but will be good to know incase you travel at some point in the future. While some of these may seem like common sense they are just as easy to look over and forget about all together.

You should start by making sure that all your storm doors and windows are closed tightly and locked. Air drafts are a major killer when it comes to keeping your house warm in the winter and will be very helpful when leaving for extended periods of time. Another thing that will help tremendously is putting up plastic around windows. Sometimes even with the windows shut and locked a draft can still be getting through. This can be minimized by installing plastic.

If you are going away for a long period of time there is a chance that you may not be keeping the furnace running. If this is the case it is very crucial to drain all the water in the water lines and remove ...
... water from the toilets as best as possible. Other precautionary steps such as unscrewing all supply lines can also be helpful in preventing busted water lines. If you are heating with hot water then you should drain down the water in the boiler and heat lines and replace them with anti-freeze. If you are heating with a forced air unit or have central air you should also pay attention to the duct works in your home. A lot of air can
be escaping through the ducts in your home and allowing cold air into your home. Sealing these off generally only takes some cardboard and duct tape.

These next few things are minor but are definitely necessary. If you are leaving for a week or a month of more you should remember to clean out your refrigerator and cupboards of anything that can go bad. If you do not clean out the refrigerator do not be surprised if you come home to find a science project. You should remember to unplug appliances such as the refrigerator and television and microwave and cable box. Remember that even though an appliance is turned off it is still using energy. By doing all of these things you can rest assured that your house will be safe and winter ready.
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