It’s October! Ideally here in Texas, that’s “fall”, which, ideally, means that some sort of winter is coming our way (fingers crossed). And much in the Texan fashion, once winter does sneak up on us, it may hit us hard when we’re not looking. For that reason, it’s super important for us to winterize our homes before it’s too late.
Here, we’ll provide a specially curated checklist for winterizing a Texan home, and please let us know below in the comments if you have other good winterizing tips for fellow Texans!
How to winterize the Texan home
Have your HVAC system inspected. The last thing you want when you finally go to kick on your heater for the first time during winter is for it to not work. For our Austin and Lubbock folks, having one of our techs come out to check out your system can prevent any unfortunate mishaps at the eleventh hour.
Insulate and flush your water tank. These need to be flushed twice a year regardless, and right before winter is the ideal time for a flush to ensure that you won’t be left without hot water on a cold winter’s day. Likewise, it’s time to wrap that thing up in some sheets, Texas style. Or, if you want to go the better-looking (and probably better-functioning) route, you can get a water tank insulator.
Check the seal on the wood. Exterior wood trim can take a beating through the years. Make sure to give this area of your home a good look to make sure you do have not rotted wood or insufficient caulking. This will not only possibly save you the pain of replacing lots of trim once it’s beyond repair, but it can also prevent chilly drafts (and bugs) from entering your home. Replacing rotten pieces and re-caulking is a quick fix that you’ll be happy with.
Check for air leaks. It’s very important to check around doors and windows for possible air leaks. These can take the form of obvious holes or not-so-obvious teeny tiny pinholes that you may not even be able to see. To test it, you can simply hold a candle to the area to see if the flame moves or not. If the flame moves, you’ve got yourself an air leak. These are usually easy fixes. With doors, weatherstripping is an inexpensive and quick fix.
Insulate hot water pipes. Much like your hot water heater, these need to be insulated in the winter months to make sure you’re not stuck without hot water. Simply outfitting them with fashionable foam sleeves can quickly alleviate any worries about your pipes freezing.
Prepare outdoor pipes. The advice here is much the same as above. A burst pipe is an absolute nightmare and can cause flooding and expensive repairs. Prevent your outdoor pipes from freezing and bursting by insulating them wherever possible. Shutting off your outdoor spigot when not in use can alleviate this risk immensely.
Inspect insulation. Checking out your attic to inspect the insulation that keeps your home and family warm should definitely be in your winterizing routine. Make sure there are no cracks or holes anywhere in your attic that might attract animals or birds inside, as they particularly love to use insulation to make nests. Make sure to replace damaged insulation and patch any holes to ensure your home is warm and rodent-free.
Besides this short list are other important things that should be taken care of as winter approaches, like wrapping trees and protecting plants, as well as cleaning your gutters (sorry!).
Call us
Winterizing your home before you’re in the thick of it can save you a lot of headaches and coin. Need an experienced technician to check out your HVAC system ahead of winter’s arrival? Please, don’t hesitate in giving us a call here at Tri-Point Refrigeration. We’re happy to hear from you and are excited to help you along the way.
For a direct line to any of our employees ready on the line to help you, please call…(512) 651-4565 for our Austin, Texas community (806) 686-0050 for our Lubbock, Texas community. Or check out our website at https://www.tripointrefrigeration.com
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