How to Winterize a House For the Cold Season

Winterizing a house prior to the cold season will help lower your utility bills and prevent emergency plumbing repair issues such as pipe bursts and cracked water lines. From pipe insulation, storm windows, chimney inspections, to window coverings, there are plenty of ways to winterize your home and keep your family warm during the Winter season.

Steps to Winterizing Your Home

Winterizing the Pipes in Your House

There are various ways to winterize the plumbing pipes in your home to prevent unexpected cracks, bursts, and flooding. First, we recommend identifying each of the pipes in your home that is located within an outside wall. When the temperatures drop during the Winter season, all uninsulated pipes that are located in outdoor walls are susceptible to bursting.

The first step to winterizing the pipes in your house is to identify the various types of pipes behind your walls. If you have copper or steel water lines, we recommend installing pipe insulation sleeves or slip-on insulation covers to prevent damage throughout the Winter. Also, we recommend conducting an audit of the wood or aluminum siding of your home to ensure there are no cracks or holes in the walls. If you find a crack, seal it using caulk to protect your pipes.

Are there other methods that can be utilized to winterize a house? Our team also recommends using heat tape on your plumbing pipes to prevent pipe bursts and damage. Also, we recommend  detaching any hoses from their spigots. When hoses are left in place, they increase the likelihood of your pipes freezing. If you have a broken water or sewer line, give us a call by phone at (732) 201-3305 to schedule an emergency appointment.

Conduct a Professional Furnace Tune-Up

If the furnace in your home is not able to efficiently provide heat to each room, this may lead to the formation of pipe leaks, cracked water lines, or pipe bursts. An excellent way to winterize a house is to conduct a professional furnace repair or tune-up with a professional HVAC technician. We furnace repair services and an 18 point furnace tune-up process to keep your home safe. A furnace tune-up will consist of replacing air filters, sanitizing the burner tray, conducting an audit of the air passages for open motors, and cleaning the burners.

Add Additional Fiberglass Insulation to Your Attic

Another way to winterize your house is to add at least 12 inches of insulation in your attic. If you don’t have enough fiberglass pink insulation in your attic, this will cause your furnace to endure frequent cycles. To avoid an expensive heating bill and damage to expensive equipment in your home, we recommend adding additional insulation in your attic.

Winterize a House With Storm Windows & Doors

If you’re looking for ways to winterize your house and save money with federal tax, we recommend installing storm doors and windows in your home to protect your plumbing, appliances, and electronics from freezing temperatures. Storm windows and doors are installed directly to the exterior of your existing doors and windows to help prevent warm air from leaving your home.

Winterize the Chimney in Your House

If you’re winterizing a house, we also recommend having your chimney checked by a licensed chimney inspector. Conducting a professional chimney sweep will help ensure that your chimney flue is in optimal condition. It’s also vital to eliminate any blockages in the chimney before using it to prevent a house fire.

Scheduling a chimney sweep is also important to prevent the formation of cracked bricks in old fireplaces or chimneys. If these cracks or holes are large enough this becomes a dangerous situation and allows sparks to get into your attic.

Winterize the Air Conditioner

If you’re looking to winterize your house, we also recommend preparing your air conditioner system for the Winter season to prolong its lifespan. Disconnect and drain the pipes from your system to ensure they don’t burst or crack throughout the cold season. In addition, it is vital to eliminate excess water from the air conditioner drain pan before the Winter begins.

Use Foam Insulation to Cover Holes in Your Outdoor Bricks

Another excellent way of winterizing your home is to invest in some expanding foam insulation to cover holes on your exterior bricks. You can spray it into hard to reach places. Once the foam sets up, you can trim it down to the right shape and even paint it.

Winterize the Windows of a House With Bubble Wrap or Window Coverings

If you home has the old single pane windows, there is a simple solution to winterize a house. If you don’t care about how it looks, you can cover your windows in bubble wrap. The extra air space in the bubble wrap will create an insulated layer and stop the heat in your home from going out the window.

If you don’t like your windows looking like a packing plant, you can buy some of the plastic window coverings. Once taped in place you can use your hair dryer to remove any wrinkles. If you are looking for a more permanent solution, you can have storm windows installed to winterize your home.

Use Weather Stripping Products to Seal Doors & Windows

During the day time, take a good look around your door. If you can see light around the threshold, your home is bleeding heated air. You may be wondering how to winterize a house that features old doors. Simply buy some weather stripping and seal up the spaces. The same can be said about your windows. If there are gaps around the frames, use weather stripping.

Team Electric Plumbing & Air

If your home needs a new furnace or is suffering from inadequate heating, give us a call by phone at (732) 201-3305. Our team of licensed HVAC technicians will help you winterize your house to keep your family safe. When it comes to heating, plumbing, air conditioning, and electric, we mean business. We are your solution to any Manalapan heating and air issue.