Make sure you and your home are ready for cold weather

DEM Blogger

November 10, 2017

We’re more than half way through fall and this weekend, below freezing temperatures will be the norm. It’s time to make sure you can be safe and warm in your home with some simple things to do:

1. Shut off water to outdoor spigots.  Disconnect and store any garden hoses. Insulate the spigots with insulated covers.
2. Check the exterior of your home for holes and cracks.  Even small homes where antenna, cable or telephone lines come into your home can be a place where freezing air can get in. Use foam insulation to close holes. Use weather stripping to fill cracks around windows and doors.
3. Check the insulation in your basement and attic.  Check around pipes and heating ducts. Pipes in the attic and crawl spaces are most susceptible to freezing.  Heat tape or heat cables can be used to make sure pipes stay warm. Make sure they’re properly installed.
4. Find the main water supply shut off valve.  Turn it almost off and on again to make sure it’s not rusted in place. Have it replaced if necessary. Make sure everyone in your household knows where the valve is and how to turn it off.
5. Put away outdoor furniture, grills and other equipment. Clean gardening tools and wipe with a light coat of oil to prevent rusting.
6. When it gets really cold, remember to leave indoor faucets near un-insulated external walls dripping overnight so the lines don’t freeze. Leave cabinet doors under these fixtures open so warm air can circulate around them.
7. Keep gutters clean. Gutters filled with leaves and debris increase the chance that ice can form on your roof.  Ice dams on roof can lead to water damage inside your home.
8. Keep attic vents and soffits clear. This will also help prevent ice from forming on the roof.
9. If you have one of the newer thermostats that takes batteries, make sure to have spare batteries handy. You don’t want to wake up to a frozen house because the thermostat stopped working.
10. If you go on vacation for several weeks, consider turning off the home water supply. Drain the indoor water pipes.  Remember to turn off the hot water heater as well.