How Can I Prepare My Colorado Home for the Winter?
The Western Slope area of Colorado gets down right frigid at night during the winter months, making the possibility of frozen pipes more likely than not. With a little forethought and some preventative maintenance, getting ready for that kind of extreme weather isn’t too difficult. With a little planning, or winter home maintenance, you can be ready for whatever comes your way.
YOUR WINTER HOME MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
Since frozen pipes could happen when temperatures reach the lows we have, the first thing you want to do is:
- Protect vulnerable indoor and outdoor pipes: If available, turn off the shut-off valves for any outdoor spigots and drain excess water. Disconnect any outdoor hoses from hose bibbs and protect hose bibbs with hose bibb covers. Insulate any exposed pipes with foam pipe insulation, inside or out.
- Use insulated curtains indoors, if possible, to cut down on heat loss through window panes. Seal gaps around windows with caulking. Use weather-strip or draft-stoppers at doors where needed. Check the basement, crawl space and attic areas and beef up insulation if there are gaps.
- Before you begin lighting those cozy winter fires, clean your fireplace and chimney to eliminate the possibility of a chimney fire.
- Update to a programmable thermostat to save money on utility bills. By setting the thermostat to a schedule, energy isn’t being wasted on heat when no one is home.
- Last, but certainly not least important, schedule heating system maintenance. Making sure your furnace is clean and operating properly ensures it will run efficiently and without the need for unexpected repairs.
Taking the time now to complete these simple preventative maintenance tasks can make all the difference in the overall comfort level inside your home this winter. You’ll have peace of mind that your loved ones will stay cozy and warm all season long.
Climate Control Company can help with your winter home maintenance, too, when you schedule your heating system tune-up with us. Our trained technicians are ready to fully inspect and clean your system and make any needed repairs.
