7 Winter Tips for your Home
Is your home winter-ready? When the weather turns cold there are certain maintenance steps you should take to protect your home from the effects of winter weather. From refilling your heating oil to protecting your pipes, here are 7 winter tips for your home.
Refill your Heating Oil or Propane Tank
If your home runs on heating oil or propane, your tank will need to be refilled from time to time. Do you know if you have enough fuel in your tank to get through the winter? Don’t wait until you run out to call for a refill. Call your supplier of heating oil in Burlington for a delivery sooner than later.
Check Your Heating System
Whatever type of heating system you have, whether it’s a furnace, heat pump, radiator, or any other type, it needs to be inspected and tuned up yearly. Schedule maintenance with your HVAC company or heating oil supplier in Burlington to ensure your heating system is operating properly and efficiently. A well-maintained heating system saves you energy and money.
Inspect/Add Insulation
Check the insulation in your home, especially in the attic and unheated spaces in your home. Those are the places where cold air may leak in and warm air may leak out when insulation is insufficient. Add insulation where needed and consider upgrading to better quality insulation if you feel certain areas of your home are drafty.
Seal Cracks
Another problem that can be indicated by draftiness is cracks in the walls or around windows and door frames. If you notice that your home is colder near windows and doors, they may need to be sealed. Add or replace weather stripping if what’s there is worn or insufficient.
Get a Generator/Inspect your Generator
Winter weather can often cause power outages. Consider getting a propane or gas generator to power certain electrical appliances such as your refrigerator when the power goes out. If you already have a generator, test it to make sure it works or have it inspected to ensure it will operate properly when you need it to.
Clean/Inspect your Fireplace and Chimney
If you use your fireplace, whether, with wood or gas logs, it’s important to maintain both the fireplace and chimney. Wood burning fireplaces need to be cleaned out and the chimney needs to be swept yearly. Gas log fireplaces need to have the logs themselves and the ventilation inspected. </span
Prep your Plumbing
In extremely cold weather water can freeze in your pipes and cause them to burst. One way to avoid this is to allow your faucets to drip when the weather is extremely cold. A better solution is to insulate your pipes to prevent freezing, which conserves water. Newer homes are usually designed so that the plumbing is in the internal walls rather than external walls so to keep pipes warm.
Alamance Oil Can Help You Get Prepared for Winter
Many of the tips above can be handled by the experts at Alamance Oil. When you need a heating system tune-up, fireplace maintenance, generator inspection, or other home comfort services, Alamance Oil is ready to help. Call (336) 226-9371 today to make a service appointment today or request service here.
