How do I protect my Denver home when it gets this cold? Luckily in Denver, it doesn't get this cold very often. But when it does, it certainly makes you think about what kind of damage this cold can do to your home and how best to protect your home when it gets this frigid. To find out the best steps, I asked a top Denver home inspector, Tony Seigert with Safe Home Inspections.For more helpfulhome tips and to contact Tony directly,click here.
According to Tony, the first thing he recommends to check on your home when it gets this cold is to make sure no garden hoses are attached to the hose bibs outside. Then check if you have frost proof hose bibs (faucets) or standard. If standard, they should have been installed with an internal shut off valve inside the home. If so, make sure the water is turned off and then open the hose bib at the exterior. This will ensure no water gets trapped in the hose bib, freezes and damages the components.
It is also a good idea to know where your main shutoff is in your home. Most homes in Denver have the water entering at the front of the building, typically 4 to 6 feet below grade. If your pipes should freeze, shut the water off immediately. When the pipes thaw out is when the water damage will occur if the water is left on. It is a good habit to turn the water off to the entire home if you will be gone for an extended period.
Before it gets this cold, make sure your furnace is in good mechanical order and have a back up source of heat available just in case. A yearly furnace inspection and tune up is a great habit which not only helps prevent surprises, but also prolongs the useful life of the furnace.But be wary of technicians who immediately try to sell you a new furnace listing numerous problems with your current unit. Always get a second and third opinion and it is a good idea to get an estimate on what it would cost to fix your current unit. Some unscrupulous HVAC companies provide low cost tune ups so they can get into your house and sell you a new furnace, where the big money is made.
Finally, it is a good idea to check to make sure your gutters are clean and exterior vents are closed to attics and crawl spaces depending on the setup of these uninhabited areas.
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