October 7, 2019

Winterizing your home can save you money

Fall is upon us and we can get lost in the beauty of the changing of the trees, the colors and the festive celebrations to come in the next few months. This isn’t the time to overlook important maintenance for your home as winter becomes a reality all too quickly in Colorado.  This is especially true if you’re a rental property owner.

Winterizing a House in CO

Getting your home or rental property ready for winter can seem like a daunting task, but these simple tips can make the difference between an easy transition to colder temperatures or thousands of dollars spent in preventable repairs.  Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric is encouraging you to take steps now before the harsh reality of winter sets in.

Check your outside taps

Those little drips of summer can turn into the frozen pipes of winter. Now is the time to ensure your outside taps are working properly and turned off securely to alleviate any potential freezing risk. Turn off your main water supply and then open up the exterior faucets to release any remaining water. Once this is complete, turn your water supply back on.

Remove hoses from your outside faucets

Water can rest in hoses, especially if they remain connected to exterior faucets. Remove, drain, roll up and store your hoses inside a shed or garage to extend their use.

Drain your swamp cooler and be sure all residual water is cleared

This is not the time to make haste, but to be sure that all the water has drained, the piping is clear and valves are appropriately shut off and protected for winter cold.

Insulate exposed pipes

Homes may have exposed crawl spaces, exterior exposure or areas where pipes can freeze. Insulation can help to alleviate issues as the temperatures drop during the winter months. Hardware stores have a variety of options available to “blanket” your pipes through winter.

Clean your HVAC system

Now is the time to perform an annual check of your furnace or boiler – before winter arrives. Dirty filters can cause inefficiencies resulting in higher utility bills, but regular maintenance can increase the longevity of your heating system.

It can only take a few minutes for a burst pipe to cause thousands in repair damage. Most burst pipes have less than a 1-inch gap wreaking havoc in walls, basements and crawl spaces. Take the time now to shore up your high-risk areas and have a qualified technician perform a maintenance check on your heating system to ensure a cozy, comfortable winter season.