How to Winterize Your Home: The Full Checklist
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While winters in New Jersey can be bitterly cold, the inside of your home shouldn't be. A great way to stay cozy this season is by winterizing your home.
Winterizing your home is easy, often inexpensive, and takes only a few hours. In exchange, you'll be helping the environment by using less energy, incurring lower heating costs, maintaining your family's safety, and improving comfort until spring. Here's a handy home winterization checklist to keep your family warm and safe this winter.
What Is Winterization and How Should You Do It?
Let's answer the most pressing question right off the bat: What is winterizing a home? Winterizing your home is a way to safeguard it against cold weather, prevent system damage, and improve energy efficiency. You can take various precautions to ensure your home is safe and winterized for the season. To fully winterize your home, you should address the following key areas.
Complete Winterization Checklist
Heating system
Since you rely on your heating system during winter, starting here is wise. Change your furnace filters, schedule your annual inspection, and check that your thermostat is programmed correctly.
Plumbing
Next, focus on your plumbing pipes. Insulate exposed pipes in the garage, attic, or crawlspace with foam sleeves. We also suggest turning off exterior faucets at the shutoff valve, draining and disconnecting outdoor hoses, and investing in a blanket for your water heater.
Sealing and insulation
Keeping your home draft free is also critical. Check windows, doors, attics, and crawlspaces for leaks. Use window stripping, caulking, or insulation to fix any spots where air is lost.
Safety devices
Replace batteries for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, and be sure fire extinguishers are all working properly.
Fireplaces and chimneys
Do you have a real wood-burning fireplace? If so, schedule a professional fireplace inspection, chimney cleaning, and always close dampers when not in use.
Utilize ceiling fans
If you have ceiling fans in your home, reverse the direction for the winter season. Turning your fan clockwise in winter will create an updraft and circulate warm air around the room. By distributing warm air throughout your space, you can help improve the average room temperature and prevent your heating unit from working overtime.
Roof and gutters/drainpipes
Take inventory of your room to ensure there are no loose shingles or leaks. Remove any debris, such as leaves, in your gutters or drainpipes that may cause blockages. Check that water can flow easily through gutters into drains.
Storm and emergency prep
Do you have a generator? Make sure it is fully functioning in case of an emergency. Prepare emergency kits in case of power outages.
How Should I Protect My Pipes?
In addition to adding foam insulation to exposed pipes and a blanket to your water heater, try these extra tips for winterizing your home plumbing—especially if you'll be away during winter:
- Drain all garden hoses and disconnect; store them away.
- Keep cabinet doors open near sinks on bitterly cold days to allow warm air circulation.
- Keep the thermostat at a safe minimum when away from your home.
When to Call in a Professional
Many homeowners can save money by winterizing their homes with some DIY. However, certain situations require professional services. We recommend calling a plumber to winterize your home if...
- Your plumbing system is shutting down.
- Your pipes have frozen.
- Your water lines require drainage.
- Sinks or drains are backing up continuously.
Reach Out to A.J. Perri If You Need Home Winterization Help
Winterizing your home doesn't have to be expensive. A simple home winterization checklist can help reduce your heating bill this winter and boost your indoor comfort. So, don't wait! Set aside a day to complete our checklist and stay cozy all season. And give the team at A.J. Perri a call at 732-733-2541 if you need assistance.