5 tips to help winterize your home as cold weather heads toward Louisville area

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Colder temperatures are on the way, expected to bring arctic air to Kentucky and Indiana.

Normal high temperatures this time of year in the Louisville area are in the low 40s, and normal low temperatures are in the upper 20s. The latest forecast shows a strong signal for true arctic air early next week with temperatures getting into the teens and potentially even single digits.

Jamason Welker with Bryant Heating and Cooling walked WDRB News through a home Thursday to provide the top five tips and pieces of advice for preparing households for freezing temperatures. :

Allow sinks to drip

First, Welker recommended turning sinks on a drip to keep water moving through the pipes.

"It's not going to cost you much but it can save you a lot in the long run," Welker said.

He said while sinks are dripping, go ahead and open the cabinet doors underneath to allow warm air from the home to reach the pipes better.

"It's not going to warm it up tremendouslybut it's going to warm it up enough for it to stay a little toastier than what it would normally stay," he said.

Don't let household temperatures drop below 55 degrees

Welker said the ideal temperature for most homes is around 68 degrees. He said to set thermostats above 55 degrees when outside temperatures drop below freezing to help prevent pipes from getting too cold and causing problems.

"Do not keep it below 55," he said. "It's going to be terribly uncomfortable, and you're just opening yourself up to things that can happen when you get temperatures as cold as what they're going to be outside."

Jamason Welker with Bryant Heating and Cooling recommends keeping home thermostats above 55 degrees. (WDRB image)

Make sure window leaks are sealed or covered

Welker suggested checking windows throughout the home to make sure cold air isn't leaking inside. He said if air is leaking in, plastic can be used to cover the window.

"You don't have to go to to the hardware store," he said. "I actually got this off an Amazon box, and you put it over the window and make sure you tape all across the top, bottom and sides, and it'll cover the whole entire window."

For smaller problem areas around windows, Welker said window caulking works great. He also suggested buying thermal curtains to hold in heat.

Insulate/wrap pipes

Welker said interior and exterior pipes can be wrapped with insulating materials to help keep them warm.

"If you have the option to go through and make sure exterior spigots and everything are shut off, definitely do it," he said. "The other thing you most commonly see are the cones that are insulated. A lot of people put those on the outside of the house to prevent the spigot and everything from freezing. Wonderful, you can always do that."

Welker said a tool people may not know about that can help with unconditioned areas like a crawl space, is insulated tape. He said it can be found at most hardware stores. He also recommended using heat tape to wrap around pipes.

Changing the air filter

Welker also recommended changing air filters, even if it's already a common household chore.

"If you know you're really going to be running the system a lot, just go ahead and change it," he said.

He said sometimes the filters are located on the heating units themselves, other times they're in a hallway. Welker said changing those filters will improve heating efficiency and help keep the home comfortable.

For an additional tip, Welker said changing the direction of ceiling fans can also make a difference in cold weather. He recommended having fans run clockwise to help pull heat off the floor.

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