Winter should be a time of cozying up by the fire, enjoying warm meals with family and friends, and enjoying a snow day if one comes along. When the cold weather arrives, you want to be sure your house is equipped to keep your family comfortable.
Start winterizing your home by trimming the trees surrounding your house and cleaning out the gutters. Then, get to the more important aspects: your HVAC and your pipes.
How to Protect Your HVAC
Changing your HVAC filter should be part of your home maintenance routine year-round. Be sure to replace your filter before winter starts or schedule an HVAC tune-up with us which will include a filter change. It’s also a good idea to test your thermostat before you need it. This way, you’ll know if your HVAC system is having problems or if something needs to be adjusted with your thermostat or insulation.
You will also want to prepare your AC unit. You most likely won’t need it all winter, so go ahead and get all the water out of it and be sure new water can’t get in. Drain out each piece of your unit and keep a cover on it until the weather warms back up. For your furnace, vacuum out any dust and debris from the previous year before gearing it up for the winter.
How to Protect Your Pipes
To start, locate your shut-off valves. There are different valves for different pipes. For example, your outdoor plumbing valve will most likely be different than your home’s main water valve. If you aren’t sure where to locate these or how to turn them off, contact us so we can send over a skilled technician.
If you can do it on your own, begin by turning off your outdoor pipes. Now that the cold has arrived, you most like won’t be doing any gardening, yard work, or manual car washing until spring comes back around. Outdoor pipes typically freeze first, so it’s important to find the shut-off valve for these faucets before extreme temperatures start to roll in.
You’ll then want to insulate your exposed pipes. Even if the water is turned off in your outdoor pipes, you still want to avoid freezing. Any pipe that runs outside your home or even in your garage could be vulnerable. Try to keep your garage door closed to avoid freezing. Using pool noodles as pipe insulation is a quick and inexpensive fix. If you aren’t sure which pipes to insulate, or how to go about doing so, give us a call!
Let Us Help You!
Even though Georgia winters can be on the milder side, you never know when a winter storm could blow through. It’s important to be prepared. Give Precision Heating & Air a call so we can double-check your home! You can reach us at (770) 758-4552 to get your free consultation today!
