Preparing your manufactured home for winter is not only essential to keep your home in its best shape, but it will also help you save energy and lower your heating bill. Manufactured homes today have proper insulation just like site-built homes do, but you’ll still need to take some steps to make sure your manufactured home keeps warm air inside. We share seven easy tips on how you can winterize your manufactured home.
Tip 1: Crack Open Cabinet Doors
Heat circulation is essential when it comes to keeping your entire house warm and protecting pipes during cold months. To help with circulation, crack open cabinet doors and other doors in areas of the home that don’t have a vent that allow heat to circulate. You will also want to reduce clutter in cabinets, so the heat circulates easier.
Tip 2: Let Faucets Drip
Running water has less chance of freezing than still water, so allow your faucets to drip overnight if the outside temperature falls below freezing. Doing this will prevent your pipes from freezing over or bursting and will potentially save you hundreds of dollars. If you live in an extreme climate, you may want to consider heat tape. Heat tape is a heating element that plugs into your outlet to warm pipes. As with any heating element, heat tape comes with safety precautions. Make sure you plug it into a GCFI outlet and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Tip 3: Reverse Ceiling Fans
During summer, your ceiling fan pushes cool air down and pulls the warm air up. But, did you know you could reverse the fan blades during winter for the opposite effect? You can do this at the flip of a switch – literally. Your fan has a switch to reverse the fan blade direction. To better heat your home, make sure the fan blades are spinning clockwise. If you aren’t sure they’re spinning in the correct direction, turn your fan on and stand underneath it. If you feel a cool breeze, then you need to switch the direction to winterize your home. This is a simple way to make your home warmer while using little energy.
Tip 4: Clear Gutters
If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned your gutters, clear them out before temperatures start to fall. If you have leaves and other debris in there, your gutters aren’t properly draining, and ice and snow will build up during cold months. The buildup of ice or snow can eventually damage your gutters and potentially damage roof seams and your home’s siding.
Tip 5: Seal and Patch Any Cracks
Sealing any drafty areas using a high-quality, acrylic latex caulk is an easy and budget-friendly way to keep warm air inside. Make sure to caulk any cracks in windows, door frames, and exhaust fans. If you have any larger leaks like in the water heater closet or supply ducts, you may need to hire a professional.
Tip 6: Add Weather Stripping
To ensure the cold outside temperatures don’t enter your home, add weather stripping to exterior doors and windows. It’s an easy and cost-effective way to seal off any cool air coming in. To test which windows and doors need weather stripping, place your hand near the edge of the window or door. If you feel a draft, you’ll want to seal it.
Tip 7: Install Storm Windows
If your windows are single-paned, they will not protect your home in cold temperatures. Instead of replacing your current windows, you can add storm windows to the exterior of the existing ones for that added layer of protection against snow and wind.
Taking these simple steps will help keep you and your family warm and safe during cold winter months without drastically increasing your energy bill. To completely prepare for winter, follow our tips on how to winterize your boat or personal watercraft.