The Old Farmer’s Almanac has predicted that it’s going to be another extremely cold winter with above-normal snowfall. Winters Home Services, an award-winning provider of plumbing, heating, cooling, and air quality services to residents throughout the greater Boston area, advises homeowners to get their home systems tuned-up and ready for winter.
“During the recent Nor’easter, we received over 300 calls in a 24-hour period from customers without heat or hot water, flooding and sump pumps not working,” said Winters owner Tim Flynn, a master plumber with 20 years in the business and 60,000 happy customers. “The best way to avoid a home system emergency, such as no heat, is by having routine system check-ups and maintenance.”
Flynn offers these tips:
Have a professional home systems inspection and tune-up. Homeowners expect their heating systems to work 24/7, yet they never have them inspected. An out of tune heating system works harder, wastes energy and actually costs more to run. Annual inspection and maintenance of home systems is imperative. During the tune-up, filters are changed and all is inspected to ensure the systems are working at their optimum so that you are not left without heat and in need of emergency service.
The same goes for the hot water heater. Have it inspected to ensure that it’s in good working order. If it’s 10 or more years old, consider replacing it. Some signs that it needs to be repaired or replaced: hot water that doesn’t last long or fails to maintain a consistent temperature; leaking under the tank; corrosion or rust on the tank; and strange noises coming from your water heater. Consider replacing your traditional storage water heater with a Tankless Water Heater, which will ensure immediate delivery of hot water when you need it and provide significant water and energy savings.
If you have a sump pump, get it inspected every year to ensure that it works when you need it most. Not sure if you need a sump pump? If you have had minor basement flooding on occasion, discuss it with your plumber who can advise you of your options.
Finish the fall clean up. Before it snows, inspect vents and chimneys to make sure they are unobstructed. Clear leaves and vines; prune shrubs and plants so they do not block vents. When it snows, make sure to check that your vent is not blocked by snow and keep it clear. You don’t want anything to block the exhaust, which can cause carbon monoxide to back up into the home as well as trigger heating system shut-off or malfunction.
Take advantage of technology. Monitor, measure and control your home systems with Winters’ state-of-the-art CarePlus Home Monitoring program enables homeowners to monitor, measure and access the most important systems – from water sensors (which can detect leaks and usage), home energy meters, and carbon monoxide detectors to thermostats, lights, door locks and more- through any Smart device. It’s one of the easiest ways to monitor your home systems, conserve energy and maximize savings.
According to Flynn, “Essentially, CarePlus provides home automation and monitoring to ensure the optimal operation and safety of home systems and the maximum in energy savings, backed by ‘first-in-line’ service and accountability that only a local company can provide. At the first sign of trouble, such as a leak or significant temperature change, a damage prevention alert is sent to the homeowner’s Smart device. The homeowner can then resolve the issue through their Smart device or call in our team to fix the problem before it becomes a catastrophe.”
Winters offers three different CarePlus plans for greater peace of mind. All plans include at least two annual visits from Winters, where 137 heating, cooling and plumbing items are checked, along with check-ups on all monitoring devices without additional costs.
For more helpful plumbing and heating tips, or to learn about the CarePlus Home Monitoring program, visit wintershomeservices.com.
About Winters Home Services
Founded in 1994, Winters Home Services is an award-winning service company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, specializing in plumbing, heating, cooling, drain cleaning and air quality services. Offering the first-to-market CarePlus Home Monitoring Program and lifetime guarantees on many of their services, the company focuses on high quality workmanship and consistent world-class customer service. Winters Home Services promises to fulfill the needs of every customer with a sense of urgency, ensuring comfort, safety and well-being.
Winters Home Services is one of the largest residential plumbing companies in the greater Boston-area with a large fleet on the road and a full staff of licensed and insured plumbers and technicians.
Dedicated to supporting the community, Winters is a sponsor of the Duckling Day Parade annual Mother’s Day event and a partner of the Friends of the Public Garden, a non-profit organization that works to protect and improve Boston’s first public parks: the Boston Common, Public Garden, and Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The company is an ongoing supporter of events at Club Café.
For more information, call 866-482-7586 or visit wintershomeservices.com.
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