Home Check List for Winter in California

• Winterize Your Home

  Download these “Winterize Your Home” tips. (pdf download).

  Take the time now to get your home ready for the winter season by following these tips:
  1. Have your heating system checked by a professional annually. This will ensure that your system is working safely and efficiently which, in turn, will save you money. If you heat by wood, clean your fireplace or stove. Have your chimney flue checked for any buildup of creosote and then cleaned to lessen the risk of fire.

  2. Make sure your home is properly insulated. If necessary, insulate walls and attic. This will help you to conserve energy and reduce your home’s power demands for heat.

  3. Caulk and weather-strip doors and windowsills to keep cold air out.

  4. Install storm windows or cover windows with plastic from the inside. This will provide an extra layer of insulation, keeping more cold air out.

  5. Inspect and flush your water heater.

  6. Clean gutters. Leaves and other debris will hamper drainage.

  7. Replace batteries of smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors. If you did not do it when you set the clocks back, do it now.

  8. To keep pipes from freezing:
  o Wrap pipes in insulation or layers of old newspapers
  o Cover the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture
  o Let faucets drip a little to avoid freezing
  o Know how to shut off water valves

  Protecting Water Pipes

  To prevent the mess and aggravation of frozen water pipes, protect your home, apartment or business by following the simple steps below.

  Before Cold Weather
  1. Locate and insulate pipes most susceptible to freezing, typically those near outer walls, in crawl spaces or in the attic.

  2. Wrap pipes with heat tape (UL approved).

  3. Seal any leaks that allow cold air inside where pipes are located.

  4. Disconnect garden hoses and shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets. This reduces the chance of freezing in the short span of pipe just inside the house.

  When It’s Cold
  1. Let hot and cold water trickle at night from a faucet on an outside wall.

  2. Open cabinet doors to allow more heat to get to un-insulated pipes under a sink or appliance near an outer wall.

  3. Make sure heat is left on and set no lower than 55 degrees.

  4. If you plan to be away: (1) Have someone check your house daily to make sure the heat is still on to prevent freezing, or (2) drain and shut off the water system (except indoor sprinkler systems).

  If Pipes Freeze
  1. Make sure you and your family knows how to shut off the water, in case pipes burst. Stopping the water flow minimize the damage to your home. Call a plumber and contact your insurance agent.

  2. Never try to thaw a pipe with an open flame or torch.

  3. Always be careful of the potential for electric shock in and around standing water.

  Additional Resources:
  FEMA Winter Hazards
  National Weather Service Cold Weather Tips

• Quick Links

  

  • California Emergency Plan: 2009
  • California Emergency Services Act
  • SEMS Guidelines
  • Continuity Planning
  • Disaster Council Accreditation
  • After & Corrective Action Rpts
  • Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program
• Related Websites

  

  • Federal Emergency Mgmt Agency
  • Centers for Disease Control
  • Natl Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin
  • US Geological Survey
  • CA Forestry & Fire Prot (CAL FIRE)
  • American Red Cross
• Additional Resources

  

  • Plans and Publications
  • Laws and Regulations
  • Calendar of Events

Excerpt from: http://cms.calema.ca.gov/prep_freeze.aspx

http://www.calema.ca.gov/

 

Winter – Project Tip – Seal Air Leaks and Save

Whether you live in your own home, condo, townhouse or in an apartment there are a myriad ways to save energy and keep more money in your pocket. A big bonus to this project is that you will also feel more comfortable in your home. These are simple do it yourself projects and if you do not have time, ability or inclination a handyman can help quite inexpensively.

Sealing Air Leaks

Warm air leaking into your home during the summer and out of your home during the winter can waste a lot of your energy dollars. One of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you can do is caulk, seal, and weatherstrip all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside. You can save on your heating and cooling bill by reducing the air leaks in your home.

Tips for Sealing Air Leaks

First, test your home for air tightness. On a windy day, carefully hold a lit incense stick or a smoke pen next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weather stripping.

Excerpt from: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/air_leaks.html

How Does the Air Escape?

Air infiltrates into and out of your home through every hole and crack. About one-third of this air infiltrates through openings in your ceilings, walls, and floors.

If you Do it Yourself here an video you will enjoy. If you need some help call a contractor, handyman, or if you are in the Los Angeles California area call My Pro Handyman Can.

Enjoy this video…

 

HOME IMPROVEMENT IDEAS FROM ENERGYSTAR.GOV

HOME IMPROVEMENT IDEAS FROM ENERGYSTAR.GOV – Air Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR

Sealing and insulating the “envelope” or “shell” of your home — its outer walls, ceiling, windows, doors, and floors — is often the most cost effective way to improve energy efficiency and comfort. ENERGY STAR estimates that a knowledgeable homeowner or skilled contractor can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs (or up to 10% on their total annual energy bill) by sealing and insulating.

Air Leaks

Many air leaks and drafts are easy to find because they are easy to feel — like those around windows and doors. But holes hidden in attics, basements, and crawlspaces are usually bigger problems. Sealing these leaks with caulk, spray foam, or weather stripping will have a great impact on improving your comfort and reducing utility bills. Click on the house diagram to see common air leak locations that you should aim to seal. more…http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_sealing.hm_improvement_sealing

After any home sealing project, have a heating and cooling technician check to make sure that your combustion appliances (gas- or oil-fired furnace, water heater, and dryer) are venting properly.

For additional information on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) issues related to homes, such as combustion safety, visit EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Web site.