How to winterize your home in Mesquite NV

To Winterize or Not to Winterize???

Winterizing your home in Mesquite NV is a good idea if you are going to be gone for even a few months. Winterizing your home helps you to save on utility bills during the period you will not be in the home while at the same time minimizing the risk of your home being damaged. I asked my friend Chuck Perry of Perry Home Inspections, who is a licensed Home Inspector in our area, to share with us a few ideas to help you winterize your home in Mesquite NV.

The first question to ask is… How long are you going to be gone? It is not a good idea to leave a home totally vacant for long periods. Chuck recommended to have a friend, family or home watch company go into your home once a month to run water through the drains, flush toilets, and check any other items you may want them to check while in the home.

Chuck also suggested that during the winter months in Mesquite NV there are times that the temperature gets below freezing and that homes with outdoor irrigation systems should have some type of insulated cover placed over their anti-siphon valve. It is also a good idea to change your sprinkler system timer to the appropriate winter settings.

While winterizing your home in Mesquite NV Chuck Perry recommended setting your thermostat to 50-55 degrees (or the lowest setting) in heat mode. This would also be a good time check your smoke alarms and their batteries.

It is recommended that you continue with your regularly scheduled preventative maintenance for pest control. During the winter months the pests usually do not get too active but they are still present.

The hot water heater often comes up when talking about how to winterize your home. Chuck Perry does not recommend turning off the water heater. He said that after a couple months it get a “rotten egg” smell. However this goes back to having a family member, friend or company go into your home and run water through the drains and flush toilets. If you have some one doing this for you then you can turn your water heater off.  It really is a personal preference.

If you have a swimming pool be sure that the pool cover is on and secured. Also make sure the automatic fill valve is in good working order. If you have an anti siphon valve for your pool be sure that it also has an insulated cover. Also check to see that the pool filtration mode is set to winter.

This article was written by Brandon Park of the Mesquite Real Estate Team. Special Thanks to Chuck Perry of Perry Home Inspection, He can be reached at 702-809-3272.  See Homes for Sale in our area