Prepare Your Home for Winter!
go.ncsu.edu/readext?1041276
en Español / em Português
El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.
Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.
Português
Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.
Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.
English
English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.
Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.
Collapse ▲
We are fortunate to live in a relatively mild climate here in the Appalachians, but we can still have spurts of prolonged freezing weather with snow and ice. Start preparing your home now to help save on the electric bill and be prepared in case of a winter storm. Here are 10 tips to get you started:
- Clean out gutters. Gutters with excess debris can reduce water flow increasing chances of ice build-up, weighing gutters and causing them to pull away from the roof.
- Trim branches that may be close to your house as ice may weigh these down causing them to break and damage your home.
- Check your doors and windows. Gaps around window frames and doors can allow cold air to leak inside, so make sure the weatherstripping is secure. If not, replace or use self-sticking weatherstripping and draft guards.
- Protect your water lines. Ensure insulation around lines is still in good repair, close crawl space vents, remove water hoses from outside spickets and store for the winter.
- Consider purchasing a programmable thermostat if you haven’t already. In the winter, a programmable thermostat allows you to save money on your energy bills by setting it to a desired temperature that self regulates.
- Clean or change filters in your heating and air system. Dirty filters reduce air flow which can reduce the energy efficiency of the unit.
- Check your refrigerator. The optimal refrigerator setting for food safety and energy efficiency is 36-38 degrees F. You should also keep the freezer at 0 to 5 degrees F. Setting your appliances any colder than this wastes energy. Check the rubber door gasket on both the refrigerator and freezer to ensure a tight seal.
- Reverse your ceiling fan. Ceiling fans are a popular appliance in the summer months but can also help with energy efficiency in the winter. Warm air rises. By reversing your ceiling fan, it can help push warm air down which will help with constant temperature control.
- Check insulation in attic floors and ceilings to ensure it is still secure.
- Prepare for prolonged power outages by keeping extra batteries, flashlights, weather radio, blankets, canned foods and bottled water. In the event a forecasted storm is predicted to knock out power, you may want to fill sinks and tubs with water for personal care and to flush toilets.