Homeowner's Winter Checklist
Homeowner's Winter Checklist
An 8-Step Guide to Preparing Your Home for Winter
For easy referencing, print out a copy and place your winter checklist in a highly visible location. Don't let the cold weather catch you off guard. Be prepared and help keep your home safe and efficient during the winter season.
Follow these 8 easy steps
Step 1 - Insulate pipes and fixtures: Insulating pipes can help keep them closer to the temperature of the water inside them. If you insulate hot water pipes, it helps hold the heat in, while insulating cold water pipes may help avoid their freezing and bursting during extreme cold spells.
Step 2 - Seal up doors and windows: Adding weather stripping, window film, fresh caulk, or even thermal curtains can help keep the cold air outside and the hot air inside. Sealing the house from winter drafts helps reduce the energy necessary to keep your home cozy and warm.
Step 3 - Inspect internal furnace components: Your furnace should be inspected annually. Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or you prefer to hire a professional, making sure the internal components are in good condition will keep your system working safely and efficiently.
Step 4 - Change your furnace filter: Replacing your furnace filter regularly helps keep your indoor air clean and your heating system running properly. A constantly dirty filter can reduce the life of your HVAC system by half! Why risk that?
Step 5 - Move furniture away from vents: Flowing hot air will have a hard time heating a room if it's cut off by furniture. Make sure your couch, dresser, or bed isn't blocking the room's source of warmth.
Step 6 - Test your thermostat: Make sure your thermostat is working properly and set to the optimum temperature for winter.
Step 7 - Flip the switch on ceiling fans: For a warmer room, make sure the direction of the fan is clockwise to force the warm air, which naturally rises to the ceiling, back down toward the floor.
Step 8 - Stock up on de-icing salt: Make sure your family and friends are safe on your property by keeping de-icing salt on hand. Nobody wants bruises – or worse, broken bones – from a fall on stairs or a sidewalk. Spreading de-icing salt as needed is an easy way to prevent winter-related accidents.