Your membership has expired

The payment for your account couldn't be processed or you've canceled your account with us.

Re-activate

Save products you love, products you own and much more!

Save products icon

Other Membership Benefits:

Savings icon Exclusive Deals for Members Best time to buy icon Best Time to Buy Products Recall tracker icon Recall & Safety Alerts TV screen optimizer icon TV Screen Optimizer and more

    Cold front: Is your home ready for winter?

    Consumer Reports News: December 09, 2010 12:13 PM

    As temperatures in the South go south the chilly reality of prepping your home for winter has set in. Temperatures in the Southeast are running 15 to 20 degrees below normal, and forecasters predict a particularly cold winter there, the New York Times reports.

    Here in Yonkers, it's a brisk 27 degrees F. Luckily, on a milder day we got a lesson in how to winterize your home from Celia Kupersmid Lehrman, our deputy Home editor. Today seems like a good time to reprise it with this video. Here are the highlights—Southerners unaccustomed to the annual routine may want to take note:

    • Turn off water to hoses and lawn sprinklers.
    • Move piles of leaves, compost, or wood away from house or other structures.
    • Turn off power to outdoor compressor on your central AC.
    • Cover outdoor furniture.
    • Clean out gutters one last time after all the leaves have fallen.
    • Wash windows to let the sun in.
    • Check windows and doors for air leaks.
    • Review the settings on your programmable thermostat.
    • Have a pro service your home heating system.
    • Replace furnace filters every month.
    • Have your chimney inspected and cleaned.
    • Skip duct cleaning services.
    • Check detectors and fire extinguishers.

    E-mail Newsletters

    FREE e-mail Newsletters! Choose from cars, safety, health, and more!
    Already signed-up?
    Manage your newsletters here too.

    Appliances News

    Cars

    Cars Build & Buy Car Buying Service
    Save thousands off MSRP with upfront dealer pricing information and a transparent car buying experience.

    See your savings

    Mobile

    Mobile Get Ratings on the go and compare
    while you shop

    Learn more