Preparing for Winter: Top Ten Plumbing Tips for NJ Homeowners

While autumn may still be warm, New Jersey homeowners should prepare now for winter’s often-unannounced wrath—and the plumbing emergencies that come with it. According to State Farm Insurance, the number of frozen pipes claims increased from 9,000 to over 26,000 between 2008 and 2009. Unfortunately, a freezing weather catastrophe can wreak havoc on your home, your furnishings—and your pocketbook—unless you’re properly prepared. 

Now is the perfect time to take measures to winterize your plumbing and prevent costly damage to pipe systems. Remember these simple tips as you prepare your home for the cold temps:  

1. Make all exterior faucet repairs now. Your NJ plumbing expert can repair drips, leaks and faucet damage before a cold front blows in and damages the offending pipe. 
2. Disconnect all exterior water hoses. Water that lingers in hoses can quickly freeze, expand and cause leaky or broken pipes, faucets or water lines.
3. Turn off shut-off valves for your home’s outside taps. When closed, this valve blocks water to exterior pipes and faucets. You should also drain standing water from exterior pipes. If you’re unsure of how to do this, hire an expert to blow out sprinklers and exterior pipe systems. 
4. After your irrigation blowout is complete and appropriate valves are shut off, buy and install a faucet insulation kit. Alternatively, you may cover outside faucets in duct-tape-secured towels to insulate from a pipe freeze. 
5. Consider insulating interior pipes in unheated or poorly insulated areas of your home, as well. This can be done with heat cables or heat tape, which is both affordable and easy to apply. 
6. Do not set your furnace below 55 degrees—even if you’re traveling during the winter. Pipes exposed to lower interior temperatures can quickly freeze, which leads to pipe cracks, small leaks or major interior water damage. 
7. Check your water heater drain for a buildup of sediment. This corrosive buildup decreases the energy efficiency of your water heater and shortens its lifespan.  
8. For best performance, set your home’s water heater to no higher than 120 degrees F. Higher temperatures could cause scalding, and lower temperatures may not provide optimal performance during cold months. 
9. Clean and inspect your sump pump each year, since rocks and other buildup debris may impact its performance. After removing debris, pour a large container of water into the sump pit and watch to ensure that the pump is running as expected. Prefer to have a specialist inspect your sump pump? Call a Stashluk technician! 
10. Clean roof gutters, or hire someone to do this chore for you. Removing leaves, twigs and other debris from downspouts and gutter systems allows rain and snowmelt to drain properly, which helps to prevent roof leaks and structural damage.

For more information about system maintenance, or to purchase an Annual Safety Inspection Plan, call 908-277-6200 or email info@stashluk.com today! 

Preparing Your NJ Heating System for Chilly Temperatures

With cool temperatures come burgeoning heating bills: heating bills that put an unwanted damper on family budgets and holiday spending. To lower winter utility bills and maintain your family’s comfort and safety, remember these helpful cold-weather tips:

• Insulate your home from the chill. Many homeowners don’t realize the significant energy savings that comes with closing their blinds and drapes in the evening. It may also be worthwhile to install lined curtains, or to cover large windows with blankets or insulating plastic. On sunny days, open curtains to enjoy free, natural heat from the sun’s rays.
• Install weather stripping and block out drafts. As it grows colder, check each door and window for drafts. Replace or install weather stripping around leaky openings, and place fabric “draft snakes” along the base of your front and back doors. 
• Seal floorboard gaps. Over time, wood floorboards pull away from flooring and contract during cold temperatures. Unfortunately, this allows unwanted air into your home. To remedy this problem, fill gaps with traditional wood, silicon or foam filler, and refinish treated baseboards with matching paint or stain. Properly sealed floorboards can reduce your energy bill up to 15 percent!  
• Turn down the thermostat. Just one to two degrees can cut your heating bill by 10 to 15 percent—and it’s more cost effective to add an extra clothing layer and use an energy-efficient space heater rather than wasting energy throughout your home.  
• Have your heating system inspected before winter arrives. A fall HVAC inspection is a good way to ensure that your heating system is operating safely and efficiently. And, when you sign up for a Stashluk Annual Safety Inspection (ASI), you’ll receive comprehensive tune-ups, preferred repair scheduling and money-saving discounts!

For more energy efficiency tips and safety information, visit Hot Info on our comprehensive website, or call 908-277-6200 to schedule your heating system safety inspection today!