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Five Ways to Create a Healthy Home
Have you ever thought of your home as being healthy or unhealthy? While the concept of a healthy home may be new to some of us, it is steadily gaining popularity with homeowners. A healthy home can include a number of elements from building...
Get Everything Done Quickly Using Your Basic Tools
No one wants to have their house equipment broken. But it might happened your electricity went off or your water system not working etc due of broken installation. You realize it will take a whole day to wait for your electricians or...
How to Install a New Toilet in 5 Easy Steps.
If your toilet is old and in need of repairs, it is cheaper to replace it by installing a new one. This is quite easy to do and can be completed in an afternoon. However, if you plan to install a toilet in a new location, you will have to extend...
The Benefits of Painted Wall Murals -
Wall murals are a creative and fun way to liven cold, bare walls. And the best part: anyone can do them—you don’t have to be an artist. You can design your own wall mural using your imagination, artwork, greeting cards, or picture books. You can...
What Are Light Fixtures Used For?
Light fixtures are something not many of us think about. But, the way we light a room can cause us to feel a certain way or enhance what we want to accomplish in that room. There are many types of light fixtures for all areas of the home and even...
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Winterizing A Vacation Home
Unlike winterizing your main home, winterizing a vacation or summer home effectively means closing down the home for the winter. However, winterizing a vacation home or summer home really only involves a few basic tasks that can be completed in about a day by a homeowner.
Shut off the Water System and Drain the Pipes
Since most vacation or summer homes that are winterized will not be heated, the most important task to perform is to turn off the water system and drain the supply lines.
The water system can typically be turned off by simply throwing the pump switch to the off position on the circuit panel. Some wells also have a mechanism several feet down that can be turned off to enable any water in the underground pipe to drain back into the well. If your well has this mechanism, a tool should have been provided by the water pump installer that allows you to do this. It is effectively a rod about 4 feet long with a T handle at the top. Basically the rod is inserted into the well head and turns a valve to drain the water from the underground supply line back into the well. Most wells do not require this however, as the well supply line is located several feet under ground. Thus it is safe from any frost concerns.
Next, water should be drained from the supply lines. First turn the faucets on, and leave them in the on position.
Since water will and should remain in the toilet and sink traps, an anti-freeze solution must be added to them to prevent freezing and pipe cracking. Also, the toilet tank should be drained of any water as well to prevent the tank from cracking.
Turn off the Heating Supply
Turn the heating system to the off position. Turning down the temperature setting on the thermostat is not good enough. The switch at the furnace or the circuit panel should be turned to the off position to ensure the furnace does not inadvertently go on during the winter months.
Remove all Food that could Spoil or Freeze
The refrigerator should be turned off, unplugged, and emptied of all contents. Likewise, anything in the kitchen cabinets that could freeze or spoil should be removed.
Unplug all Appliances
To prevent
the possibility of damage due to thunderstorms it is best to unplug all appliances in the vacation home.
Prevent Rodent Infestation
Various rodents will attempt to get into your vacation home during the winter months. It is best to leave a few boxes of Decon around the home to prevent them from taking up permanent residence.
Store Boats and Remove Pipe Docks
All boats need to be removed from the water. Similar to the home, all of the boats should be winterized as well.
Once the boats have been removed, the entire dock should be removed from the water and stored high up on shore. The pipes should not be left in the water, as they will be damaged by the ice. The damage frequently happens in the spring when “Ice Out” is occurring and large blocks, similar to ice bergs, shift and move along the shore line.
Rake Leaves and Debris Away from the Home
It is important to rake the yard, with particular attention made to removing leaves and other debris from around the foundation. Left to sit during the winter months, this material would otherwise become a collection area for ice and water, and become a haven for small four legged friends.
Properly Store away all outside Lawn and Yard Furniture and Tools
Clean all outside lawn and yard furniture and store it inside the home or shed or garage. Likewise winterize the lawnmower and properly store it away for the season.
Finally lock up the home, enjoy the winter and think of warm weather in the spring.
About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mr. Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement and repair information visit: http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com.
Source: www.isnare.com
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