As we get closer to October, fall weather is right around the corner. As temperatures drop and we begin to adjust ourselves for the upcoming cooler seasons, we also need to prepare our homes. Taking the necessary precautions before it’s too late can help save you money and headache in the future. To keep the heat in and the cooler air out, follow the tips below to ensure that your house is prepared for cooler weather.
1. Plumbing
The first are of your home to address when preparing for cooler weather is your plumbing. If you have any hoses or outdoor faucets, make sure to drain all the water from those before the temperatures drop below freezing. It is best practice to store any hoses and sprinklers indoors to prevent any freeze damage to either. If you have irrigation in-ground, also take precautions, and blow out all water from pipes and hoses. To do this, use an air compressor to blow air through the systems to remove all water from the pipes.
It is also important to pay special attention to any pipes that tend to freeze year after year. If you can identify those pipes, try using heat tape to put a break into the freezing cycle. This method can help prevent pipes from freezing and possibly breaking, leaving you without water and costing much more to fix.
This fall, if you realize that your water heater needs an upgrade to keep up with higher demands in winter, consider upgrading to the new Eccotemp SmartHome 15 LPM Indoor Liquid Propane Tankless Water Heater! This new water heater is installed indoors to prevent any freezing outside when temperatures drop. Personalize and put a monetary value to your usage statistics to tune into exactly what this smart water heater costs you per day or month using the Eccotemp Smart App to save money throughout the winter months. With voice command technology, you can also adjust the temperature of your water heater with your voice making it easier than ever to change temperatures, set timers on hot water, and more!
2. Are You Ready to Heat Things Up?
When going through your cold weather prep checklist, it is important to also check all the elements in your home that will produce heat to keep you warm. If you have a chimney in your home, call an inspector out to your house before the first use to have it cleaned and ensure that it is still in proper working condition. If you have a furnace in your home, check the filter. Depending on the type of furnace that you have, your filter may need to be replaced more frequently than you think.
The rise of new technological advances brings with it many advantages, like saving you money! Using products like a smart thermostat to turn down the temperature in your house while you are gone helps save you money on your power bill in the winter months when the heat is running most of the time. If you have your hot water turned on and have already left for a long weekend vacation, the Eccotemp Eccotemp SmartHome 15 LPM Indoor Liquid Propane Tankless Water Heater can be turned off from your smart phone to save water and energy while you are away! Take advantage of the many great benefits that smart home products provide.
3. Check for Leaks
The last thing you can check to prepare your home for cooler weather is the space around your windows and doors in your home. This is an easy way for cold air to sneak into your home if your weather stripping is old or worn. If your windows and doors don’t have weather stripping, it may be a good investment to add this to your home. If the stripping looks worn, it may be time to replace it to keep the cold air out.
If there are any areas in your home where pipes travel through an exterior wall, this is another place that cold air can sneak in from outside. Double check that there are no areas that would lead to leaks and if there are, caulk around those areas to lock the air out. When checking both the weather stripping and the exterior pipes in your home, never neglect the basement! This is a very common problem area that is often ignored when it comes to winter preparation.