Ten tips can help keep a home safe during the winter months

METRO DETROIT — AAA is reminding homeowners of how essential it is to stay proactive on maintenance during the winter cold, and it shared 10 tasks to help people stay prepared and safe during this time.

“Winter maintenance is the most effective way to prevent costly damage and provide peace of mind,” Adrienne Woodland, spokeswoman for AAA — The Auto Club Group, said in a press release. “Taking time now to prepare can prevent extensive repairs and keep your family safe when winter storms hit.”

AAA’s first task for winter readiness is to protect pipes from freezing.

The press release says that people should disconnect garden hoses, shut off exterior valves, and insulate exposed pipes to prevent bursts.

The second tip is to clear gutters and downspouts. Removing debris from the gutters and downspouts prevents ice dams and foundation damage.

People should also schedule chimney cleaning to reduce fire and carbon monoxide risks. AAA recommends annual inspections and urges proper wood-burning practices.

Another major tip presented by AAA is to prevent slip and fall accidents by shoveling snow promptly, using de-icer and maintaining well-lit walkways.

The fifth task is to inspect roofs and flashing and to repair damaged shingles and clear debris to prevent leaks.

Testing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors regularly is another tip. AAA says people should replace batteries and outdated units.

The seventh task is to monitor for ice dams and heavy snow, and to remove the excess snow and ice buildup to prevent damage.

Homeowners should be sure to maintain heating systems by cleaning dryer vents, changing furnace filters, and scheduling annual tuneups for safety and efficiency.

One of the most important tasks to be aware of is to maintain heat in your home, according to Woodland.

Homeowners should be aware to not let the pipes freeze while they are away, always maintaining a thermostat between 55 degrees and 60 degrees to prevent frozen pipes. Dropping below 55 degrees might cause the pipes to burst.

“One of the most important things you know for a homeowner particularly this time of year is to maintain a certain level of heat in their home to prevent frozen pipes,” Woodland said. “Especially if they are going to be away. Because with pipes bursting, the amount of damage really can vary depending on how long it is. It takes a while before you discover that issue has occurred.”

The 10th suggestion is, if the furnace fails and one cannot turn off the water to the home, let the faucets drip to prevent pipes from freezing. The press release says to open cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate near pipes.

“These tips are really important to make sure that your home will be ready for winter and the different perils that can come with the wintertime,” Woodland said.

Lee Deel, owner of Briarwood Heating and Cooling in Rochester Hills, said that checking your furnace regularly throughout the winter is essential to spotting cracks and problems.

Deel says it’s essential for all homes to have a carbon monoxide detector, because if a furnace goes off and then turns around and comes right back on within a certain amount of seconds, there is something wrong, and there is a risk of carbon monoxide getting into the home.

“We are finding cracks in the heat exchangers, which are there to keep the carbon monoxide out of the air that you breathe, and we are seeing more cracks,” he said. “But just because you have a crack doesn’t mean it’s leaking carbon monoxide; it just means that there is a risk of it. Once we see a crack, there is too much liability to just ignore it. Even if it’s only a hairline crack, as a heating and cooling company, we have to fix it.”

Deel said that the first thing people should do when they find a problem in the furnace is to call and have it checked by a trained eye.

“First check, clean and change your filter. We use thermometers to check what we call the temperature rise, and if it’s not within the range that the manufacturer wants, it’s going to crack,” he said. “The biggest thing is to have the furnace running in the temperature range that the manufacturer wants. And if you don’t change your filter, the furnace will overheat; it’s going to crack the metal.”

There are furnaces now that provide the homeowner with a smart thermostat feature, which Deel said can be checked at any time. So, while away on vacation, it’s important to keep an eye on that.

Woodland suggested that homeowners review their insurance policies on their home to make sure they have the best coverage for them during the winter months.

“It’s best to contact and speak with a trusted insurance agent to go over your different options, and in that meeting with the agent, it’s really important to share things like your home is on a body of water, because that can definitely make a difference in terms of risk and things like that,” she said. “They are going to ask a variety of different questions about your home, and providing them with all of that information is the best way to help them come up with the right policy for you and your home.”

For more information on AAA and tips, visit aaa.com. For more information on Briarwood Heating and Cooling, visit briarwoodheatingandcooling.com.