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As winter draws in, the chilling temperatures can take their toll on your home. Unfortunately, a whole host of problems can be caused when the temperatures start to drop. So, during the winter months, your property will require some extra care and attention to keep it functioning at its best. With a little bit of preparation, you can help to protect your home from many of the issues that can be caused by the cold and save yourself a lot of hassle and inconvenience.
Taking action now to get your home ready for winter will help ensure that you can relax and enjoy this magical time of the year without worrying too much about your property. If you are keen to keep weather-related problems at bay this winter, then these tips will help you to do just that:
Protect Your Pipes
Your home’s plumbing system is especially vulnerable to issues during the winter. So, when the temperatures drop below freezing, it is advisable to start taking extra care of your home’s pipework.
Frozen pipes are bad news for your property. This is because as the pipes freeze, they can split and burst, causing extensive leaks and impacting your home’s water supply. Protecting your external pipes with weatherproof insulation is the best way to prevent them from freezing. But, as well as insulating your property’s external pipes, it is also advisable to insulate internal pipes in colder areas of your home. This includes insulating pipes in your loft and crawl space, as these are more exposed to the cold.
Back-Up Your Power
The winter is one of the worst possible times to lose your home’s power. Your electricity supply is vital at this time of year, so doing everything you can to keep your home powered throughout the winter months is essential. Unfortunately, the chances of issues with the power supply during the winter are increased. This is because extreme weather is often the cause of power outages. According to the North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) 2022-2023 Winter Reliability Assessment, ‘a large portion of the North American BPS is at risk of insufficient electricity supplies during peak winter conditions.’
Preparing for possible power outages is a wise idea to ensure you do not lose your electricity supply over the winter. Learning more about Generac generators from Generator One is a great way to find out whether a generator is the right choice for your home.
Clean Your Chimney
If your home has a chimney, getting it swept before you start using it this winter is vital. Having a build-up of debris inside your chimney can be a major safety risk and cause a chimney fire. If your chimney is swept and professionally cleaned, the chances of a chimney fire occurring are significantly reduced. Without regular cleaning, creosote can build up inside your chimney and cause it to catch fire.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has advice on additional precautions so that you can use your home’s wood-burning fire safely.