Get Started Winterizing Your Home

The fall season is the best time to start getting your home ready for winter. It is important to make sure that you winterize everything properly, including your backyard pools! 

Since we have had such a hot summer and balmy fall here in New Jersey, it is easy to forget about winterizing and fall maintenance, so here is a checklist of things to do before winter comes. 

Pools 

• There are so many pools in the New Jersey area, and since it goes from super hot to snowy in the winter it is important to make sure that you drain and clear out the pipes, much like for a sprinkler system. 
• Covering the pool is also important to make sure that moisture doesn’t get back into the pool and freeze. 

Gutters

• Clearing out your gutters from leaves and other debris that may have accumulated over the summer and fall months will keep them from getting clogged during the winter. 

• It will also keep the debris from getting wet and then freezing, which will cause runoff and potential pooling and freezing around the foundation. 

Hoses and Outdoor Faucets

• Drain your garden hoses from any leftover water and store them in a dry place. This will keep them from getting weathered and cracking. 
• Making sure to turn off the water supply to outdoor faucets will keep them from dripping over the winter and freezing. 

Sump Pumps

• In New Jersey, sump pumps are important to have in every home, and they need to be working properly when you need them. 
• Test your sump pump to ensure that it is working properly, so when there is snow melt you can avoid pooling water around your home’s foundation. 
• Clear the drains to make sure that the water is being diverted away from your home when the sump pump is one, instead of getting blocked up. 

HVAC Units

• Ensure that your A/C unit is turned off completely so that it doesn’t kick back on during warmer winter days. If this happens the pipes will freeze and burst when it gets cold again. 
• It is also a good idea to cover it with a weatherproof cover to keep moisture and other debris from getting in. 

Furnace & Fireplace

• The furnace and fireplace are going to be working for you all winter long, so making sure that they are in working condition before you need them will save you from finding out about unexpected issues when it is the first day of snow.
• Replacing the filter in the furnace will keep it in good working order, and will also help reduce allergies during the cold season. 
• The fireplace should be cleaned out and checked for cracks that could let moisture in and allow it to shift. 

Winterizing and doing maintenance on these things in your home will help make sure that your home is ready to do for the cold months of winter. 

It will also save you from having to call in repair people in the winter, when the cost of maintenance is the highest for emergencies.