The holidays are an exciting, warm time of year. Family and friends travel near and far to reconnect, many exchanging gifts. Traveling and shopping often carry heavy price tags. In order to save money this time of year, make sure you check out these tips that can help you avoid making a pricey service call.
• If you find yourself without heat, you should check for an emergency switch, which is usually located at the top of your stairs. Guests or children often mistake this for a light switch and turn it off. Check to see if you switch is in the off position, if so flip it on.
• People often leave their garage door open when they are outside, either shoveling their driveways or playing in the snow. Leaving your garage door open can result in frozen heat and/or water pipes! Be sure to close the garage door when you will be outside for more than a short period of time.
• Along with the holiday season, usually comes guests and an endless array of food. Guests may not be mindful of your plumbing and could pour heavy or greasy products down your drain. Be sure to let everyone know how to properly dispose of items that can clog your drain.
• Everyone loves holiday decorations; they make any room instantly festive and exciting! Using nails or screws to hang decorations could accidently damage various pipes or wires lingering in your walls. Instead, use an adhesive hook that will not cause any damage to your walls or what lies behind them!
• Heating a home is extremely expensive during the winter months and usually homeowners will try to reduce this cost. Often, when they leave their home for a few days, people turn down their heat to save on their energy bill. Turning your heat down too low can result in frozen pipes throughout your home, which can cause some serious damage. If you are planning on leaving town, keep your heat around 50-55 degrees. Have a friend check your heat periodically to make sure it is on to avoid cold weather inconveniences.
• To further monitor your heat, install the Nest Thermostat, which allows you to check and even change the heat settings in your home remotely via your smartphone or laptop. Another option is installing an alarm system in your home that can tie into your HVAC system and alert you when your heat is behaving erratically or is dropping too low.
If you find yourself in need of service despite these holiday tips, please don’t hesitate to call Nebrasky Plumbing Heating & Cooling. We would like to wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday Season!