It is officially Autumn, and cold weather is on its way. We have covered this topic before, but you can never be too prepared for winter weather in your home. Let’s talk about a few additional tips and tricks to fully winterize your home and save you from potential grief later.
We focused a lot on visual inspections last time, all the things you can see on the surface, but don’t neglect the things you can’t always see.
Proper Insulation
Your pipes can freeze and break if you don’t have proper insulation. Not just in the walls, but consider wrapping your piping in insulation if you can get to it. Heat tape is another option. It’s an inexpensive way to avoid a potentially expensive repair later if you do end up with broken pipes.
Prevent Pipes from Freezing
While still on the topic of pipes, it may seem counterintuitive, considering water concerns here, but allowing a minimal amount of water to run from your faucets will keep water moving in the pipes. Moving water is less likely to freeze.
You can also open any under-sink cabinets to keep a warm air circulation around those under-sink pipes.
Clean Humidifier
We also talked about cleaning out that humidifier that has been sitting in your closet all summer. Yes, pull it out and get it cleaned up. The dry air of winter can be rough on your skin and lungs, so use the humidifier, but pay attention to the outside temps and lower the output of your humidifier during those times to avoid frost from forming in your home. If your humidifier has sensors and can control internal humidity levels, keep it around 35 to 40 percent, but drop it to 20 if the temps drop below 0 degrees.
Programmable Thermostat
You might consider a programmable thermostat while controlling humidity in your home. Not only will this help maintain the comfort level in your home, but having the temperature programmed will help save you money on your energy bill. Some studies show you can save up to one percent every eight hours you keep the temperature down. Do this by using temperature setbacks. Set the temp lower if you are away at work during the day or while everyone is sleeping. The cooler temps at night will also help you sleep better, so why not take advantage of that benefit?
These are a few tips and tricks we will use in our homes this winter. Do you have any other tips we haven’t thought of?
Salt Lake City And You
SLCHomes.com is a great resource to learn more about the city.
You can check out all our blog posts at the SLCHomes.com Blog. This is a great resource for learning more about the current state of the Salt Lake residential real estate market.
If you’d like to sign up to receive our monthly newsletter, the SLC Homes News, contact me, and I’ll put you on the list. Thanks!
