Daily Archives: November 1, 2013

Winter is coming! (2of2)

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Winter is coming! (2of2)

Winterizing your home II

Howdy Folks, Well I hope you are all doing well on winterizing your home. Last week we worked on gutters, leaks, insulating, and preparing the furnace for winter. Wheeewww!

Week No. Two- This week we will focus on windows, pipes, smoke alarms and chimney’s starting with no. 6 on our list.

6. Face your windows 

Now, of course, is the time to take down the window screens and put up storm windows. Storm windows provide an extra layer of protection and warmth for the home and are particularly helpful if you have old, single-pane glass windows. If you don’t have storm windows and your windows are drafty you can save quite a bit of money by using a window insulating kit. This kit has plastic sheeting that’s affixed to a window’s interior with double-stick tape. A hair dryer is then used to shrink-wrap the sheeting onto the window. (The sheeting can be removed in the spring.) It’s temporary and it’s not pretty, but it’s inexpensive (about $4 a window) and it’s extremely effective.

7. Reverse that fan

Reverse your ceiling fan is a small tip that people don’t often think of. By reversing its direction from the summer operation, the fan will push warm air downward and force it to recirculate, keeping you more comfortable.

TIP: Here’s how you know the fan is ready for winter: As you look up, the blades should be turning clockwise.

8. Wrap those pipes 

A burst pipe caused by a winter freeze is a nightmare. Prevent it before Jack Frost sets his grip: Before freezing nights hit, make certain that the water is shut off to your outdoor water spigots. These shut offs are usually found underneath your house or in the basement. Make sure that you drain them after you shut the water off inside the house.  In climates such as Portland, Ore., or Seattle, where freezing nights aren’t commonplace, you can install Styrofoam cups with a screw attachment to help insulate spigots.

It is very important to have your sprinklers blown out. Otherwise you will be replacing sprinkler heads and hoses. This can be done by a professional or you can do it your self using an air compressor.

9. Check those smoke alarms

This is a great time to check the operation — and change the batteries — on your home’s smoke detectors. Test them — older ones in particular — with a small bit of actual smoke, and not just by pressing the “test” button. Check to see that your fire extinguisher is still where it should be, and still works.

10. Check that Chimney

If you have and plan on using your fireplace; double check the flew for blockage and if it has been a few years since you have had a chimney sweep out you may want to call on an expert to come out and inspect your chimney. Being involved with the fire department you see a lot of homes that catch on fire due to creosote build up in their chimney.

11. Finally, prepare your humidifier

Last but not least, Pull out your humidifiers and make sure that they are clean and ready for use. Replace filters if you need to. Some humidifiers have filters that just need to be cleaned and not replaced.  Using purified water helps the life of your filter.

Tip: There is an additive you put in the water to also extend the life of your filter. You can find it in the same section as the humidifiers. It really does work.

Thank goodness we only have to do this once a year!

I hope this has been a helpful couple of articles. The plan is to prevent any future problems and also save money on your energy bills.

 

Reminder that we fall back one hour at midnight Saturday Nov. 2nd. Find something special to do with it!  

Thank you God our Father for the Roof over our heads!     Mischele