Getting your house ready to face another frigid winter is not a chore any homeowner can afford to skip. As the saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine. Doing regular maintenance is more convenient and less expensive than waiting until something is broken beyond repair and must be replaced.
While some of the necessary tasks might seem a bit tedious and unnecessary, each plays a vital role in ensuring that your home survives the coming winter months.
Here is a list of priority home maintenance tasks:
Heating system
Do not wait for the first real cold snap to strike before discovering that there is something wrong with your home’s heating system. Repair companies are on the receiving end of hundreds of calls from clients who have taken this route, and you will wait a few days before they get to you.
Instead, have your heating system checked out thoroughly during the autumn months to ensure it is ready for winter. It is also an excellent opportunity to upgrade your heating system to one from Best Electric Radiators, including radiators with Wifi feature programming. You can set up a wireless programmable thermostat to adjust your home’s temperature at different times.
Gutters
Few people find the prospect of getting onto a ladder to inspect and clean their gutters thrilling, but it is a necessary task. After autumn, your gutters are likely full of leaves from shedding trees. As winter brings rain and snow, blocked gutters and downpipes will block and overflow, causing damage to the house. Gutters can become so waterlogged when they are blocked that they rot, crack or fall.
Remove as much debris from your gutters as you can by hand. Afterward, rinse your gutters out with a hosepipe and ensure that drainpipes are open and ready to receive water from the gutters. Replace damaged sections of gutter ahead of the winter storms.
Water heater
The expansion and contraction of a water heater, as hot water inside competes with cold air outside, can threaten the device’s material integrity. This leads to bursting, flooding, and water damage. These tend only to manifest themselves when it is too late to do something about the situation. Water heater damage should be avoided as it is inconvenient to sit without hot water waiting for repairs, not to mention the damage a water heater bursting can do to ceilings, walls, and floors.
Before winter arrives, check your water heater for any signs of cracking or damage to any joints or connections. You might also want to invest in a water heater insulating blanket that wraps around a water heater. The blanket helps the water heater use less power to maintain hot water temperatures and prevents cold air from direct contact with its exterior. It can save you a lot of time and expense, making it worth the investment.
Insulation
A heating system is rendered less effective when the building it heats has openings that allow cold air to enter and hot air to escape. It leads to increased energy consumption, increasing your power bill balance. Even with your doors and windows closed, there may be areas where cold draughts are getting inside.
Use a lit candle after closing all doors and windows. Move to each one and see if the candle flame flickers to determine where there is a gap that allows heat to leave your home. Replace window and door seals that are perished or otherwise damaged. This can be a DIY task if you buy self-adhesive rubber strips to seal doors and windows securely.
Additional tasks
Check that every smoke detector has fresh batteries and is in working order. Winter poses an extra danger for the outbreak of a house fire, and smoke detectors give you sufficient warning so that you can escape the home before it is too late. If possible, buy and install a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer and people often only become aware of it when it is too late.
If you have a fireplace, have the chimney cleaned and its flue checked for functionality. Get a professional to do this check-up so that you are assured that your fireplace works efficiently and poses no risk to you and your loved ones.
