The 5 Most Important Winterization Methods

With the winter fast approaching, most folks think about what happens on the outside. Visions of snowmen come to mind, and the most important things that they think of are preparing for ice on the steps and snow in the driveway. However, make sure that you remember these important tips to save you a big hassle and a big hit to the wallet this winter.

Sealing Any Leaks

Leaks are extremely important in the winter, but it’s not just leaky pipes that you need to be aware of. You have to be sure to check any way that airflow could get in including exposed vents and weatherstripping. A few centimeters of a gap could mean frozen pipes and increased energy costs.

Verifying the Equipment is Ready

The last thing you want to do is get halfway through the season just to have the furnace or water heater give out. Repair calls on the fly are not just expensive, they are cold as you are waiting for a repair technician to come out and look at the damage (not to mention what could happen if they need to order a part and wait a few days).

Wrapping Any Exposed Pipes

While you may not want to even have a long term strategy of allowing pipes to be exposed, if for some reason they are then you need to protect them now by wrapping them. A few minutes of identifying the problem areas for exposed pipes could mean the difference between a cold winter and a frozen pipe winter that turns into a burst pipe spring where the water damage runs into your basement (and into the thousands of dollars).

Checking Vents

As long as you are paying for the heat you might as well be sure that all filters are fresh, all vents are open to the correct rooms (and closed for the places you don’t need heat like the basement), and verifying that the whole duct system is sealed so you aren’t losing any air.

Clean Out Those Gutters

While mostly seen as a summer or early fall task, the last thing you want to do is have leaves becoming wet, frozen, and heavy leaves that will soon lead to what pulls the gutters off of the house entirely.

At the end of the day there are a lot more things that go on behind the scenes that homeowners everywhere seem to forget about. Make sure you remember these and you’ll have a much easier time this winter!

Winter is nearly here! To get the best advice on winterizing your Chattanooga, TN home, call Metro Sewer and Plumbing at (423) 855-0967 today.