Whether you have a vacation home that will not be in use for the winter, or you will be gone from your home for an extended period of time this season, it is a good idea to properly close up your home for the winter. This is not difficult and the steps you take here can save you thousands of dollars by preventing burst pipes, water damage and other damage. Here is a quick checklist to help you get prepared.
1. Drain the water heater and the pipes.
This is something that many homeowners forget, but it is the most important step to take and should be done before anything else. If you don’t get rid of excess water in your pipes, plumbing and water heater, there is a chance that they could freeze. Since you won’t be at the home, you may never know what happened until it is too late. If you are not used to flushing your home’s plumbing system, you can easily hire a plumber to help with this job. Once everything has been flushed, double check to make sure that the main water line to the house has been shut off.
Some people recommend adding antifreeze to toilet water, but this is a hazard, particularly if you have pets and small children. It is best simply to flush the house system and close down the water line for the winter.
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2. Seal all the windows.
In order to keep the temperature at a constant level, it’s a good idea to seal up and winterize all of your windows and doors. This can save you money on heating an extra home throughout the winter and will help keep the interior less dusty. You can purchase window and door sealing kits at your local hardware store and do this on your own.
3. Set your furnace to the desired level.
If you don’t mind heating the house all winter long, or if you haven’t completely flushed the house water system, you will need to make sure that you leave the heat on. Most people prefer to set the heat at about 50 to 60 degrees to keep it above freezing. This should reduce the cost for heating the house throughout the winter. If you prefer to just turn everything off, double check and make sure that no water is left in the pipes before you do.
Turn off the electricity.
If you will not be using the heating system, you can simply turn off the electricity for this portion of the year. Many people feel more comfortable doing this, since they won’t have to worry about electrical fires if something happens when they are not at the house. Talk with your power company about shutting down for the winter. If you have propane or natural gas lines in the home, you should also have those shut down for the winter.
These easy steps will help you make sure that your house is safe and sound for the winter and will be ready for you next spring.
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