Is Your Home Ready for Winter

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Is Your Home Ready for Winter

Now that fall is here, it’s time to prepare your home for colder months. We want to help you lower your utility bills while protecting your investment. Great news, here are some things you can do yourself!

Reverse Your Ceiling Fans

If your ceiling fan comes with a reverse switch, use it to run the fan’s blades in the opposite direction after you turn on your heat. By doing so, the fan will produce an updraft and push heated air from the ceiling down into the room. This is helpful especially in rooms with high ceilings and it even allows you to turn down your thermostat by a degree or two for more energy savings.

Inspect Your Roof

Find time to inspect your roof and look for loose, damaged or missing shingles that may leak during winter’s storms or from melting snow. If you do find anything that needs repair, act on it immediately. Check for any breaks in the flashing seals around your chimneys and vent stacks, too.

Caulk Around Doors and Windows

If there are gaps between siding and door or window frames that are bigger than the width of a nickel, you need to reapply exterior caulk. The joints in door and window frames should be checked, too. Silicone caulk is best for exterior causes because it doesn’t shrink and it is impervious to the elements. You may also add weather stripping as needed around doors to make sure you cannot see any daylight from inside your home.

Clean Gutters

This is important because if your gutters are full of detritus, water may back up against the house and may damage roofing, siding, and wood trim. It may also cause leaks and ice dams. You should also look for any damaged or missing fascia boards and gutters and repair them.

Turn Off Your Exterior Faucets

Water in pipes that you failed to drain can freeze. This will cause pipes to burst as the ice expands. To avoid this from happening, you can start by disconnecting all garden hoses and draining the remaining water in the faucets. If you do not have frost-proof faucets, turn off the shut-off valve inside your home.

Tune Up Your Heating Systems

You can hire a professional who can inspect your heat pump or furnace to ensure that your system is clean and in good condition so it can achieve its efficiency. This inspection also measures any carbon-monoxide leakage. We here at Twintech Heating and Cooling can help you.