Tips and tricks to keep your home working this winter

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — As temperatures dip near or below freezing this winter, it’s important to take steps to keep your home in working order. 

To start, you should disconnect water hoses from outside spigots to prevent freezing.  If your house is on stilts, make sure your pipes are properly insulated. 

Ryan Stumbaugh with Blaze Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electric explains why that’s important. 

“Ice expands, so the pipe expands and breaks. Can only hold for so long,” he said. 

If you’re pipes are prone to freezing, let a faucet trickle to keep the water flowing. If the worst happens and a pipe bursts—act quickly.   

“Know where and how to shut your main water supply off. Whether that be a valve in your house, or oftentimes at the meter, just be familiar with ho to do it. You can always purchase a meter key at Lowes or Home Depot,” Stumbaugh said. 

As for the heat, Justin Fulford with Fulford Heating and Cooling recommends balancing your comfort with energy efficiency.  

“Biggest thing is don’t try to run it too high. A lot of people try to have it in the wintertime 75 degrees when it’s below freezing and that’s very tough for a heat pump, it’s very inefficient,” Fulford explained. 

Fulford adds you can lower your thermostat when you leave for the day, but it likely won’t save you money in the end.  

“If you maintain the house, keep everything warm consistently, 68, 70 degrees, that’s probably the most efficient way to operate the system,” Fulford said. 

He also recommends checking air filters regularly to keep that warm air circulating throughout your home. 

If you plan to leave town this winter, you should turn off your water supply, drain all the water by turning a faucet on, and set your home to at least 55 degrees to prevent pipes from freezing.