How to Winterize Your Germantown & Mount Rainier Homes

Okay, now that all of your yard work is pretty well wrapped up for the winter, you can just kick back and do nothing until spring, right?

Not so fast!  Because if you haven’t taken all the necessary or at least useful steps to winterize your home, then you could be in for a rude awakening.  At Your 1 Plumber, we’d like to help you avoid all the headaches and hassles with these home winterizing tips:

What goes up should go back down.  Warm air rises, which means the warm air you use to heat your home heads straight for the ceiling.  That’s where a ceiling fan can help.  During the winter, reverse the flow so the air is driven back into your living space for greater comfort and lower heating costs.

Cover up operation. Water pipes in unheated spaces – like your garage or unfinished basement – are prone to freezing, cracking and, nightmare of nightmares, breaking.  Pipe insulation can prevent the mess and expense that frozen pipes can and often do cause.

Hose job.  If you haven’t already done so, disconnect your hoses and, after thoroughly draining them, store them in your shed or garage.  Then, close the outdoor water shut off valves which are located indoors.  Finally, drain the hose bibs of any remaining water and then shut them off.

Seal the deal.  Not sure if your windows or doors are allowing warm air to escape, or exactly where the leaks might be coming?  That’s simple.  Just light a candle and move it around the edges.  If the flame turns sideways, there’s the leak.  Or you can save yourself the trouble and simply check your window caulking and weather stripping to see if they need reinforcement or replacing.

Survey the landscape.  Your lawn irrigation system has an exposed vacuum breaker that’s made of metal.  You need to cover it to prevent cracking.

Piping warm. Any time outdoor temperatures dip below freezing, it’s a good idea to open your cupboards or cabinets to allow warm air to help keep your exposed pipes from freezing.

At Your 1 Plumber, we’re ready now to help you winterize your home for a more relaxing season, free of unnecessary expense.  But if a problem does occur – such as frozen pipes or no hot water – call us and we’ll make it disappear fast!

Toll free:  1-888-540-7586
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