It’s the dead of winter, and the polar vortexes are still swirling. You may have taken care of some of your winter prep work before the season started, but that doesn’t mean your work is done. Have you ever heard of working during the winter to protect your home? Many houses and condos are going to get even colder weather past the Christmas season. It’s only a matter of time before the freezing temps can cause some problems for you at home.

When cold snaps, frosts, or storms hit, it means that your pipes could freeze and your home could get slightly messed up. Even though you think Spring is upon you, the weather can fluctuate and you can still experience majorly cold nights. The last thing that you want to deal with is burst pipes— what a huge pain that would be. Let’s not fixate on the bills, which would be astronomical– and the potential fact that you might experience major damage. With that being said, make sure you have Homeowner’s insurance as it could help in the event of any problems.

Here are some tips to help you during the winter months. Use them when there are freezing temperatures or impending freezing temperatures to prepare and avoid being caught off guard!

Let your water faucets drip, indoors and outdoors.
The faucets just need to run at a small drip pace in order to keep water flow going and prevent the pipes from freezing. Keep the circulation going whenever there are freeze warnings.

Keep cabinet doors under sinks open.
This lets more warmth in and gives them more of a chance at not freezing with the pipes– always good.

Make sure the apartment, house, or condo is warm.
Having a warm home will help combat the cold weather outside. Keep the heat at a low temperature when you’re away– try 40 or 50.

Check your tank’s fuel levels.
A tank needs to be full or at least have a reasonable amount of fuel in order to keep your home warm. An empty tank means that the home isn’t heated and that means you could have frozen pets or pets who are impacted by the change.

Keep your hoses from being hooked up to faucets and coil in the shed.
Having them hooked up in the winter could mean freezing pressure on pipes and even ruin the hose.

Know where the master water turnoff is.
This faucet is often located outside. Try and find it if you can. When pipes burst, you’ll need to know where that is located and fast. It’ll be the key to minor water damage instead of major.

There are so many things that can go wrong with winter here. Make sure you’re protected from them by using these tips to think quick and plan ahead. It’s your home, so make sure that you and it survive the winter successfully! Thanks for reading, and good luck!