Make sure all outdoor hose bibbs (spigot) are shut down, drained and blown out (if necessary) to avoid a frozen, burst pipe. If you have frost free hose bibbs, you still need to make sure the hoses are disconnected to avoid a freeze up.

Shut down water to your underground irrigation system. These pipes also need to be blown out with compressed air to remove any residual water that has settled in dips in the piping. Even though the pipes are underground, they can still freeze and split.

Turn on your heating prior to needing it to make sure it all works well. Heating systems, burners and boilers should be serviced prior to heating season. Changing filters and nozzles, and a good cleaning each year will help avoid loss of heat.

If you have a steam heating system, you should consider getting the boiler conditioned to get rid of any scale build up in the boiler and piping that could reduce your heat output.

Are you having a house full of company for the holidays? You may want to think about getting your cesspool pumped prior to their arrival. Nothing dampens holiday spirits like a backed up cesspool.

Clogged gutters and downspouts could result in stagnant water, which could freeze. The ice can work it’s way under your shingles, and then cause leaking when it melts.

If you have a faucet that is piped in an exterior wall, on very cold days, turn the faucet on, just a trickle, to keep the water flowing so pipes in the wall don’t freeze.

If you have a kitchen faucet or bathroom basin faucet that is piped in an outside wall, on very cold days, you should open the cabinet doors to allow for warm air circulation to the pipes to avoid freezing. If the pipes do freeze, open the faucet and apply additional heat (space heater or even a blow dryer) directly to the piping under the faucet until you get water trickling from the faucet. Then leave that faucet trickle until the cold spell passes.

Please feel free to call if you have any questions, or would like to set up an appointment for us to handle any of these winterizing items for you.