Winterize Your Home with this Fall Checklist

Fall is finally here, which means its time to winterize your home so your home is ready for the cold winter weather to come. There are a variety of steps you can take this season to protect your home and help lower your utility bills at the same time. This simple fall checklist for winterizing your home will have your house ready for winter in no time.

Reverse Your Fans

Running your ceiling fans in a counterclockwise motion during the warm summer months is a great way to keep your home cool, but did you know you can use your ceiling fans to keep your home warm, too? Use the fan’s reverse switch to force the blades to spin clockwise, which will help the fan push the warm air resting near your ceiling back down into the room.

Turn Off Faucets

Your exterior faucets will be the first thing to freeze when the cold winter weather arrives. Frozen pipes will quickly expand and may burst, causing big problems in your home. Be sure to protect your home’s pipes by turning off all exterior faucets before the weather dips below freezing.

Repair Drafts

Drafts can wreak havoc on your home during the winter, but they’re very simple to fix. To find the location of a draft in your house, light a candle and move it slowly around each window and door. If the flame flickers or blows out, you’ve found a draft. To repair the draft, fill the space with caulk. For drafts around your doorway, add weather stripping around the frame until no daylight can be seen from inside your home.

Stock up on Winter Supplies

You know you’re going to need a few supplies once the snow starts falling, so why not stock up on these necessities now instead of waiting for a snowy forecast? Pick up a few bags of salt or ice melt, put a new ice scraper in each of your vehicles, and make sure your snow shovel is ready before the cold months get here.

Check Your Roof

Scan your home’s roof for loose or missing shingles, which may cause leaks when your roof is covered with snow. If you see any missing sections, hire a roofer to repair it before the cold weather arrives. It’s also important to make sure your gutters and roof are clear of fall debris before the first winter snow.

Test Your Sump Pump

Testing your sump pump is often overlooked when winterizing your home. But, winter weather means lots of snow. And that snow causes an increase in water as the snow melts. Make sure your sump pump is ready for the influx of water by testing it before the snow starts. Pour a few gallons of water into the sump pit to make sure your pump turns on when it’s supposed to.

Clean Your Chimney

Before lighting your first winter fire in your home’s fireplace, you should have your chimney cleaned and inspected to be sure the vents are working properly. A clean and working fireplace and chimney vent will prevent dangerous chimney fires and ensure that carbon monoxide is vented out of your home while the fire is burning.

Get a Tune-Up

Your furnace will soon be working overtime to keep you family warm and comfortable. Your furnace has many parts. Make sure it is in proper working order before the cold weather hits by calling us to inspect your furnace or heat pump. In addition to cleaning and inspecting your unit, we’ll also run several diagnostic tests to ensure everything is functioning the way it should before winter arrives.

While we can’t winterize your home for you, we can make sure your furnace is ready to go for the cold Central Illinois winter. Give us a call and we’ll schedule your fall tune up today!

Are you ready to schedule your fall tune-up? Give us a call or book online today!