Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [winter]

73 questions
30
votes
12 answers

What are the "must do" tasks before winter hits?

I've had my furnace serviced in time for winter, but what other things should I consider doing before the snow and the ice come?
Jeff Yates
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23
votes
2 answers

What is an air bleeder valve, and how does it winterize pipes?

I found this message attached to a pipe in the first house I bought Caution Winter Drain Instructions: Close valve in October before winter freeze Open air bleeder valve on side of main valve Open exterior hose bib Pull down pin in centre of…
asmgx
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15
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4 answers

How do I fix seams that open up at the corners of walls during the winter?

Every winter, we get cracks like this where the walls meet the ceiling in certain rooms. We just got our bathroom redone, so it's most bothersome here. When springtime comes, they "seal" back up. Why does this happen and what's the best way to…
spalt
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14
votes
13 answers

How do you make outdoor wooden stairs less slippery in winter?

Outdoors, I have some wooden stairs leading up to my front door. The wooden stairs are covered in high-gloss wood preservative. In winter, snow and ice are deposited onto the stair-steps. The bottoms of my shoes slip and slide on the high gloss…
Samuel Muldoon
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9
votes
5 answers

How can I prevent an outside lock from freezing?

I store a bunch of the "outside stuff" in the shed for the winter. Mainly things that I only use when the weather is warmer. It pretty much remains locked up for the winter. Occasionally though, I have to run out there to get something in mid…
mohlsen
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9
votes
9 answers

Should I switch from propane to electric heat?

After a downright frightening heating bill, I am thinking of switching to electric heat. I want this to be as little impact to the house as possible. I currently live in a 1100 sq ft manufactured home (mobile home... its a trailer) with a bedroom on…
Bob Roberts
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8
votes
6 answers

What to do when snow blocks house door?

My house's door open outwards and overnight the snow has accumulated outside (to half the door height) and prevented the door from being opened. What to do in this situation if we want to open the door and go outside?
Heisenberg
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7
votes
1 answer

Are there any issues with using deicing salt on sand stone paving?

We are thinking of getting some sand stone paving installed, however we have to be able to use lots of deicing salt in a bad winter. Will the salt stain the sand stone? Any other issues we should be aware of?
Walker
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7
votes
2 answers

(When) Does room messiness affect water heater efficiency?

I have what I think of as a "standard US electric standby water heater." I will update this when I know the model; I am out of town right now. It is located in a cold, cluttered closet in a cold apartment. Would the efficiency of the water heater be…
capet
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6
votes
3 answers

Is there a safe way to de-ice an unsealed driveway?

My girlfriend had a new driveway put in this fall, but the weather turned bad before she could get it sealed. I guess now it's too late... The driveway is incredibly slippery and has lots of ice at this point, but she's worried that using rock…
CodeRedick
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4
votes
3 answers

Turn off water heater as well during winter?

If I am going on vacation for an extended period during winter (it occasionally gets below freezing here), should I turn off water valve AND the gas water heater or just turn off the main water valve? I am seeing a lot of people advising to close…
user45793
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4
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1 answer

Is it normal for tap water to turn brown/blue when the pipes freeze?

In our old apartment, the pipes would freeze during the winter during the night, and in the morning sometimes the water that came out of the tap was blue at first. We spoke to a plumber, and he believed it was due to "backwash" from the upstairs…
BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft
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4
votes
1 answer

Ice In Radon Mitigation System

I have a fan powered radon mitigation system installed in my house. It was installed in 2016 and I have not had any issues with it until this winter. I live in northern Iowa where we have been getting some unusually extreme temperature variations…
cyclops
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4
votes
2 answers

How can I determine why my furnace is not blowing enough heat?

During a cold spell last week when temperatures got down to -23f (-31C) my furnace started showing issues with blowing enough air and the air was not very warm. Last winter it did not have any issues at those temperatures. I've done a lot of DIY…
Nash0
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3
votes
2 answers

If pipe has been frozen for a week, should I call a plumber?

I noticed my cold water lines to the upstairs bathroom were frozen last Monday. After leaving the heat cranked high, the toilet and the sink thawed. But the cold water line to the tub is still frozen. I've had the heat on almost 24/7 for the last…
Jasmine B
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