The Stiles Blog

Prepare for Expected Winter Weather

Many parts of the state are facing wintry weather over the next few days. We recommend making sure you’re prepared so you can keep yourself, your family and your property safe.

Please take a moment to review these #StilesTips and remember to #DialStiles at (706) 548-1328 if you require our assistance.

Winter Weather Quick Tips:

Plumbing

• After the weather has warmed above freezing and any frozen pipes have thawed, turn off dripping faucets and monitor your water meter to check for unseen leaks
• Check on pipes to your washing machine in the laundry room
• Close garage doors
• Close or cover foundation vents under the house and windows to basements
• Cover outside faucets with insulating foam covers
• Disconnect and drain garden hoses
• Drip hot and cold faucets in kitchen and bath (drip single control faucets with lever set in the middle)
• Insulate exposed pipes (both hot and cold) under the house with foam pipe insulation
• Keep the faucet open when thawing frozen pipes to allow water to begin flowing through it
• Locate water main cut-off valve and have a cut-off key handy
• Open cabinet doors under sinks
• Set ice maker to make ice if the water line to it runs under the house
• Turn off sprinkler system and blow compressed air through the lines to drain them
• Turn off water to outside faucets, if available, and open valves on faucets to allow them to drain

HVAC

• Clean your air vents
• Replace or clean your air filters
• Check your thermostat and replace batteries if needed
• Check for gaps around your doors and windows and under your eaves, and also check that you have sufficient insulation in your attic to prevent heat loss

Now is a great time to get your HVAC system check out if you haven’t already. Ideally, you should have your heating checked out and maintained at least once per year — a Stiles technician can spot trouble with your heating before it starts.

At Stiles Heating, Cooling, & Plumbing, we take pride in providing our customers with excellent air conditioner maintenance service while saving you money and extending the life of your comfort system. With our 2 or 3 Maintenance Agreement, you get priority service at a discount. We will always work hard to prevent untimely breakdowns from happening in the first place, which ultimately reduces your AC maintenance cost in the process. How? Well, we will let you know how often your air conditioning units need to be serviced to avoid bigger problems.