Are You Ready for Winter? 3 Steps Every Homeowner Should Take

The holidays are approaching and although the thought of a winter wonderland sounds magical, that means Frosty the Snowman and his below freezing friends will all be here before you know it. Is your home ready for their arrival? Getzschman Heating & Cooling put together this checklist of to-do’s for every Omaha area homeowner so you will be ready.

Getzschman Heating recommends that you add insulation to your Omaha area home’s attic, basement, and crawl spaces. Why? For starters, adding insulation helps to keep the heat from escaping your home. Your furnace works to keep your house warm and if it is not well insulated that warmth escapes. This leaves your furnace to work harder and increases your energy bills.

When heat escapes your attic, it can melt the snow that sits on your roof. This melted snow turns to ice and can build up. This can cause water to pool and seep below your shingles, large sheets of ice can fall from your eaves, and your roof could potentially collapse.  Plus, when your basement and crawl spaces are well insulated, your pipes are less likely to freeze during the coldest of the winter months.

It is important to have each component of your home’s heating system serviced once a year. This helps to make sure that everything is working properly and efficiently.

Nothing is worse than discovering that your home’s pipes have either burst or are frozen. To prevent this from happening, check for cracks or leaks in your pipes. If you find one, cover it with heating tape until you can call a plumber to have it inspected and repaired. Getzschman suggests installing an emergency pressure release valve in your plumbing system. This will help to protect against increased pressure, which can cause your pipes to burst or freeze.