With cold weather just around the corner and people planning holiday vacations or heading south for the winter, so it’s time to start thinking about how winterize your home and get it ready for when you’re gone. While house’s today are much more energy efficient than they were a generation ago, they still need upkeep and preparation before you head out of town.

Drain and disconnect your garden hoses. Make sure your garden hoses are empty of water and store them in a safe spot. If you don’t disconnect the hose and there is still water in the hose or spigot, the water can freeze and burst the hose. You also run the real, and very messy, risk of bursting a pipe attached to the spigot. Then you have bigger problems.

Inspect and clean out your gutters. Go around the outside of your house and ensure the gutters are attached firmly to the house. Then, inspect the inside of the gutters and clean out all the debris. If the gutters aren’t clean, then you risk water collecting inside of them and freezing. The weight from the ice can actually pull the gutters away from the house, damage the siding, and the gutters can fall to the ground. Having clean gutters lets the water flow freely through them to the ground and away from your house.

Trim the trees around the house. If there are any branches close to your house, touching it or hanging over the roof, cut them down (or have a professional do it). When snow builds up, it gets very heavy and can break the branches. If a large enough branch that’s heavy with snow breaks and falls, the branch can do some serious damage to your house’s siding, or even fall through your roof.

Consider having the gas turned off to your home. This mainly applies to people leaving their homes for the entire winter. You can call the gas company to let them know you will be leaving so they can disconnect the gas supply. A gas explosion can destroy your entire home.

Make it look like someone is home. To greatly decrease the risk of a home break-in by a thief, make your home look like it’s being lived in. This means having outside (and even inside) lights that turn on and off. Hire a snow removal service to clear your driveway after every snowfall. Also, don’t forget to let the post office know you’ll be gone so they can either hold your mail, or forward it to your winter address.

Call a plumber. Hire a licensed plumber to inspect the entire plumbing system in your home. They’ll look for leaky pipes and can even drain pipes where water tends to collect. They can also drain your hot water heater as well. The plumber can also install insulation around the pipes to help keep them warm during extremely cold temperatures. All this will prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.

Leaving town? We can help!

If you’re going to be gone for vacation or heading to warmer weather this winter, call us today and schedule an appointment for one of our professional plumbers to get your home ready for the cold ahead. We’ll inspect, repair and make recommendations so that you’ll feel peace of mind while you’re gone.

The post Heading Out For The Winter? Use These Tips To Winterize Your Home appeared first on Bovio Rubino Service - BRS.