{HOME} Everybody Chill! You Don't Have To Spend A Fortune On Your Home Over Winter

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Home is where the heart is… It’s also where the heat is. And the light. And the comfort… And they’re all extremely important commodities as we move into the last month of the year. Because, as they say in Westeros… Winter is coming! Over the coming weeks and months we tend to brace ourselves for outrageous energy costs. We assume that we need to spend a fortune to keep our homes warm and cosy until spring sets in.

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However, a warm, cosy and comfortable home needn’t cost us a fortune. We can lay a lot of the groundwork now to ensure that your home is winter ready in the coming months. Before things get really cold, you might want to look at the following...

Is it time to rethink your radiators?

When your heating system is on, take a walk over to your radiator. Does it feel as warm to the touch as it should? Is the heat evenly spaced all around your radiator? If you feel cold spots here and there you may need to bleed your radiators (here’s how). If this still doesn’t work, don’t worry. You don’t need to replace your radiators, simply add a radiator additive. This expands when mixed with the water in your radiators and has a greater surface area than water meaning that it absorbs more heat.

Take a good long look at your water heater

Your water heater is at the heart of your home’s central heating system. However, (just like us) as they get older they are less able to work their magic efficiently. When a water heater goes bust it can be extremely expensive to replace or repair. It can also create a serious health hazard. On the other hand, getting ahead of the problem can save you a small fortune. Your heater / boiler may need a little TLC from a trained plumber like Edwards Plumbing, LLC if the pilot light burns yellow instead of blue, you notice strange smells or sounds emitting from it or it seems to take longer and longer to heat up your home. A little expenditure now can save you a small fortune later.

Winterize your pipes

Many of us don’t give our pipes a great deal of thought over winter, but if we forget to winterize our pipes, they can actually burst in an extremely cold snap and result in an extremely expensive repair. This is one December drama that you seriously don’t need. Make sure that you winterize your pipes. It’s relatively quick and easy and can save you a lot of money and inconvenience.

Spend some quality time in your attic

Your attic insulation is pivotal in preventing heat from escaping through your roof and taking your hard earned money with it. Take a look in the attic with a flashlight and look for anything that might indicate that your insulation is compromised like holes (likely burrowed by mice, rats or squirrels) bite marks in your rafters or droppings. If you see any of these, you may want to replace your insulation as quickly as possible and lay down some humane traps.