How to winterize a house in Columbus

Most years the Columbus area sees its first night at or below 28 degrees in late October or early November. That is the night an outside faucet with a hose still on can split. None of this list is hard. It just has to happen before that night, not after.

1. Outside faucets

Take every hose off. This is the big one.

• Frost free faucets, common in houses built since the 1990s, have the valve deep inside the wall. They are fine all winter as long as the hose is off so the line can drain.
• Standard faucets, common in older houses, need the inside shutoff closed. Then open the outside faucet to drain the line and leave it open. If the inside valve has a small bleeder cap, open it over a bucket to drain the last bit.
• Put an insulated cover on each faucet. They are cheap and they help.

If a faucet has no inside shutoff at all, a cover is the best you can do for now. Adding a shutoff is a job for a plumber.

2. Sprinklers

If you have an irrigation system, it needs a blowout before the freeze. That is a separate trade with the right compressor. Book it early, because everyone calls the same week.

3. Pipes in cold spots

Walk the house and look for water lines in the places that get cold: garage walls, crawlspaces, rim joists in the basement, and sinks on outside walls. Foam pipe insulation from the hardware store is an easy fix for exposed runs. On the coldest nights, open the cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls so house heat can reach the pipes.

4. Your main water shutoff

Find it before you need it. It is usually in the basement near where the water line comes through the front wall, sometimes behind a drop ceiling or a panel. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. If it is an old valve that hasn't moved in years, don't force it. A stuck or broken valve is a plumber call, and it is much better to find that out on a calm day.

5. Sump pump

Pour a bucket of water into the pit and make sure the pump kicks on and empties it. Then look outside at where the discharge line ends. It should carry water away from the house and not pool where it can freeze into a dam.

6. Furnace

Put in a fresh filter and write the size down somewhere you will find it. If your furnace hasn't had a tune-up in a while, that is a job for an HVAC tech, and fall is the time to book it.

7. Smoke and CO alarms

Test every one. Heating season is when CO alarms matter most. Smoke alarms are meant to be replaced every ten years and CO alarms every five to seven. The date is usually printed on the back.

8. Gutters and downspouts

Once most of the leaves are down, make sure gutter outlets aren't clogged and downspout extensions are on and pointing away from the foundation.

9. If you travel in winter

Keep the heat on. The common advice is to never set the thermostat below 55 degrees. For a longer trip, think about shutting off the main water and having someone check on the house.