WINTERIZE YOUR HOME

Whether you intend to sell your home in the future or not, it is always wise to keep proper maintenance on your largest investment.

Be sure to unhook all hoses from all exterior faucets. If at all possible, you should have a no-freeze faucet installed at every outlet. If that isn’t possible, you can purchase covers for all of your faucets. This will help insure that you will not have any tell-tale leaks when you thaw in the spring.

All home inspectors will require leaky faucets be repaired prior to closing. These are more of a nuisance than a large expense; however, they can lead to big expenses if a plumber has to be called to replace the faucet, and then a dry wall contractor has to be called to replace the sheet rock where the plumber had to cut through the wall, and then a painter has to be called to repaint your walls. These are not only expensive but time consuming. A little preventative maintenance will keep the blood pressure lower and make any home transitions easier.

If you live on an acreage where your only water source is a well, you should be sure that you have a light bulb burning inside your well house and by your pressure tank. If your pressure tank and interior intake lines are in your garage, be sure to have that light bulb burning when the temperature drops. Also, it doesn’t hurt to leave your interior faucets dripping just a little during those really cold nights to avoid a “no water” situation in the morning. Also, open those lower cabinet doors below your sinks when the temperature drops into the 20's. It really helps keep the water flowing.