MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. (WXYZ) — With winter around the corner, freezing temperatures can lead to costly home repairs and energy bills. But experts say by taking a few simple steps, you can avoid headaches this season.
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When the weather gets colder, Todd Wall, the owner of Todd Wall Plumbing in Madison Heights, said it keeps his company busy.
"The phone rings, people have frozen pipes, split lines," Wall said.
Those frozen pipes and split lines can damage a home in a hurry, with repairs costing anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
"Especially when the pipes are in the wall, so we have to open up the ceilings, we have to open up walls, it makes a big mess for sure," Wall said.
But fortunately, there's things you can do to keep cash in your pocket. As winter gets closer, Wall said it's crucial to remove hoses attached to your home.
"If you leave the hose on, it can't drain out and it'll freeze and break open and start spraying water out when it warms up," Wall said.
He also added that if you have a crawl space, don't forget to shut the vents as cold air can make pipes freeze. And when it gets really cold, letting a faucet drop is a good idea.
"That would be good just to get you through a night when it's extra cold, and you can open a couple cupboard doors like that just to get some heat in there," Wall said.
You can also save money on heating on your home.
"Energy usage is dependent on how you're functioning in your home, said Jose Gonclaves, a manager of energy efficieny at DTE.
Gonclaves said that now is the time to look at tuning your home systems.
"Working with our contractors to ensure our heating equipment is working at it's peak efficiency, changing the furnace filters, it plays a significant role," Gonclaves said.
Improving insulation is also key, and the way you set your thermostat when you're not at home will also make a difference.
"I like to set my thermostat, if I'm away, three-five degrees cooler," Gonclaves said. "And you want to be mindful of how long you're going to be away, to ensure if we have those cold snaps that the home is going to be so cold that the equipment has to work extra hard to bring it back in temperature."
