10 Important Ways To Winterize Your Home

If you live in a cold climate, there’s more to preparing for Old Man Winter than closing your windows and cranking up the thermostat. If you want to protect your possessions, you might have to bring them in, empty them out, clean them up or shut them down. This all may sound daunting, but most winterizing tasks don’t cost a lot of money or take a lot of time. Here are 10 tips to help you avoid costly repairs come spring time.

- Mark Petersen

1. WINTERIZE YOUR PRESSURE WASHER… 

Or ice might destroy it

I once owned an electric pressure washer. I refer to it in the past tense because a few years ago, I left it in the garage over the winter without draining the pump. The water froze and expanded, and when I fired up the washer the following spring, water sprayed from every part of the machine except the end of the wand.

I should have disconnected the hoses and sprayed in a pump antifreeze/ lubricant like Pump Saver from Briggs & Stratton. That forces the water out and replaces it with antifreeze and lube. Pump antifreeze/lubrication is available at home centers for about $10.

Mark Petersen, Associate Editor

2. DISCONNECT GARDEN HOSES… 

Or risk major water damage

A garden hose that’s left connected to a spigot will trap water inside the spigot. When that water freezes, it can bust open the spigot, the hose or both. Sometimes the pipe behind the spigot bursts and sprays hundreds of gallons inside the house. This can happen even with a frost-proof spigot and even if the water supply is off. So always disconnect garden hoses before winter arrives.

3. DRAIN GARDEN HOSES … 

Or waste money on replacements

Due to circumstances (laziness), I sometimes neglect to drain garden hoses before putting them away for the winter. Usually it’s not a problem. But every once in a while, freezing water splits a hose open. I’ve lost a few cheap hoses this way and a super-expensive one (ouch!). That’s just dumb because draining hoses is so quick and easy: Blast out the water with an air compressor or stretch them out on a sloped yard or driveway.

Gary Wentz, Editor-in-Chief

4. DRAIN MECHANICAL SPRINKLERS...