How to Winterize Your Home

When temperatures dip it's time to prepare your home for the upcoming cold season. These tips are quick and affordable to complete. Learn how to save on home utilities and effort when it comes to winterizing your home.

• Insulate Windows – A window insulation kit is an affordable and easy way to keep the drafts from coming in through your windows. By using your window insulation kit, in just minutes, you'll have an air tight seal that is easily disguised with its clear see through finish.
• Weather Stripping – Drafty doors and garages are common places where heat can be exiting your home. Along with hollow outlets, Weather stripping is the perfect solution. Because weather stripping comes in a variety of options, make sure you talk to your neighborhood Ace to know what you are getting.
• Pipes Insulation – A home owners nightmare comes when frozen pipes make their way into their home. However, Pipe insulation is affordable and long lasting. Add it on pipes near exterior walls to keep them from freezing this cold season.
• Water Heater Blanket – Insulation blankets are designed for gas, oil, or electric water heaters up to 60 gallon size. It contains a roll of plastic tape that wraps your water heater in just minutes. By insulating your water heater you help reduce water heater recovery time thus saving energy.
• Help Your Furnace – Changing your ceiling fan to a run at a low speed in a clockwise direction will push the warm air down. Just remember to reverse the setting as warmer temperatures arrive in your home. 
• Use Quality Air Filters – Your furnace will be putting in a lot of time during the winter. Reward its handwork by using quality air filters and changing them frequently. When using debris filled filters your furnace struggles to force out air, burdening the system to work harder.
• Clear The Gutters – It's important to remove leaves, sticks, and debris from the gutters. Failure to do so can cause build up of snow and ice in the gutter. Ice dams are a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof. Adding gutter guards after they have been cleaned out will only help keep debris from collecting next year and years to come.
• Put Your AC To Bed – Let your air conditioner be sealed up for the winter with an air conditioner cover. Adding this to your unit will help reduce maintenance costs. Sealing out moisture is key to the life of your air conditioner.
• Protect Outside Pipes – Be sure to remove the hose from your outside faucet before it freezes on. Adding a spigot cover to the faucet will also protect it from freezing wind and chill. Plus all year long, they keep the outside air from leaking into your home. Adding gutter guards after they have been cleaned out will only help keep debris from collecting next year and years to come. Always follow manufacturer instructions before using any product.