Winter Plumbing Tips:

Holidays bring together family, friends and a few plumbing emergencies. Holiday parties mean extra guests – and these extra guests put a serious strain on a home’s plumbing system.

• Never put hard-to-grind, stringy, fibrous waste into the garbage disposer (poultry skins, carrots, celery, pumpkin pulp or banana peels). The disposer can’t sufficiently grind these items and they will clog your sink drain. 
• Avoid pouring fats or cooking oils down the drain because liquid fats solidify in the pipes and create clogs. Wipe congealed grease from pots. 
• Run cold water down the drain for about 15 seconds before and after using the garbage disposer to flush waste down the main line. 
• Turn on the disposer before adding food debris. 
• Plan ahead, spread out showers throughout the day; wait 10 minutes between showers rather than taking one right after another. 
• Turn up the water heater slightly to retain hot water. To avoid scalding, do not exceed 125°F. 
• If shower pressure is weak, pour a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag, place it over the showerhead, and soak. Use a twist tie to hold it in place overnight. In the morning, remove the bag and use an old toothbrush to gently scrub off the mineral deposits to help restore water flow. 

Winter Heating Tips: 

• Add a furnace humidifier. A 68-degree home with some moisture may actually feel warmer than a 72-degree home with dry air.
• Lock your windows. This ensures the tightest seal to keep warm air in and cold air out.
• Replace your furnace filters. This should be done at least every few months, but they can be cleaned every month. Clogged furnace filters lower the heater’s efficiency.
• Use ceiling fans to your advantage. Fans are not just for summer. Use them on the “reverse” switch to push warm air down from the ceiling.
• Seal any gaps. Gaps and cracks can show up all over your home: between brick and wood siding, around windows and doors, in the attic and near the chimney. Identify any gaps and then seal them off with weather stripping or other sealants.
• Keep the chimney damper closed when not in use. Otherwise, up to 8 percent of your heated air could go up in smoke.
• Use rugs under doors. Rolling up a small rug and placing it under your door will help to insulate the room.
• Open shutters/drapes during the day. When the sun is shining, take advantage of the extra heat by keeping your shutters/drapes open. Close them in the evening for extra insulation.
• Set the thermostat to 68 degrees during the day, 60 degrees at night. Every degree above these temperatures can increase your bill by 3 percent. If you feel cold, put on a sweater and get cozy under a warm blanket.
• Keep hot water use to a minimum. This will reduce your costs of heating the water. Also, using low-flow showerheads and faucets can cut your hot water costs by 10-16 percent.
• Install storm doors and windows. This helps dramatically in keeping cold air out and warm air in.
• Don’t rely on portable heaters. Keeping your home overly cool and relying on small portable heaters to keep you warm is not likely to save you money in the long run. One portable heater that runs for eight hours a day can add over $60 a month to your bill.
• Filter your air.  Because most of us spend the majority of our time indoors, and indoor air can be two to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, many people are choosing to filter their home’s air.

Keeping in mind these tips to reduce your heating bill while keeping your home’s air clean will ensure that this winter you’ll be warm and toasty–not left out in the cold.