As the summer bids adieu, you must also begin saying goodbye to your pool. Here are the processes that must be followed to make sure that the pool will be ready for the colder season and will also at its tip-top shape come summertime.

1. Check the pH level of the water. This must be about 7.5 and if the results show otherwise, put dry acid on the water. Check the chlorine and use a product that is ideal for the situation to protect the pool from developing algae come winter months.

2. When the cold months come in, run the pump six hours each day. This action will also prevent algae from developing while the pool is not in use. Any kinds of leaks should be sealed. Turn off the valve of the skimmer and allow the water to drain until it is about six inches below the bottom of the skimmer. This is the preferred amount of water on the pool.

3. Before you store the summer cover, if ever you have used one, clean it through pressure washer or simply with fresh water. Keep it at a dry area and get the winter cover. When placing this on the pool, apply enough tension on the cover to prevent anything from getting beneath it once it is in place. This must be checked several days in a week to be certain that it is still tight.

Tell everybody about the cover. For everyone’s safety, tell them that even pets are not allowed to go near the pool area. The cover may be able to protect the pool, but it wasn’t designed to protect anyone or anything that may accidentally slip atop the material.

4. After you are done with the abovementioned procedures, it is time to drain excess water from the equipment. Water needs to be drained from the pump, heater and filter. This can be easily done by pulling the drain plug that can be found at the bottom. This part makes the whole process a lot easier.

Even if you are stuck with lots of things that are crying for your attention in preparation for the coming season, you should never forget to drain the pool from water. During winter, the water will freeze inside the area that may result to permanent damage that you certainly wouldn’t want to happen.

When you are done with all these steps on winterizing your swimming pool, you can proceed with other tasks. But you have to check on the pool after several days to see if everything is okay and holding up or you need to fix some areas to be very certain that everything is going to be fine.

Preparing your home for the winter can be done by professional plumber, electrician or contractor. However, there are also other things that you could do on your own. How do you prepare your home for the winter? Here are some things that you could keep in mind.

Check and clean you gutters. Remove the leaves, twigs and other branches that may be blocking your gutter. You could clean them by hand or by a scraper. This can clog the drains which would later cause the water to back up and freeze in the gutter. This would eventually seep into the walls of the house. Make sure that your gutters do not have cracks and the pipes are properly aligned.

Work on those cracks and leaks. Look for those leaks and cracks in your home and block them. According to the EarthWorks Group, an average American would have leaks that amount to a nine-square-feet hole in the wall. Cold air could slip inside your home and hot air to escape. This would add up to bigger fuel cost.

Turn on your furnace to check if it is working even if the coldest weather has not yet arrived. Furnaces should be cleaned and maintained once a year. You could get a professional to check the furnace. Change the filters monthly since dirty filters could cause fire.

Check your air ducts. If the duct work is not properly connected, about 60 % of heated air is lost, meaning a lot of energy is consumed without even benefiting the residents.

Changing windows could be expensive, but it would surely help in the providing protection and warmth. Aside from storm windows, there are also the window insulator kits. These kits however, are not too attractive to look at and only temporary, but they are definitely inexpensive. You would just have to affix it into the interior side of the window.

Avoid pipes bursting. Make sure that water hose, pipe lines are drained and turned off. Insulate your pipelines, you could wrap them with foam rubber or with heating tape.

Aside from insulating your pipes, you should also check the insulation in the attic. The recommended thickness for attic insulation would be about 12 inches. Also check the basement and the exterior walls if they are properly insulated.

It is important to have you chimneys, fireplaces and woodstoves cleaned. They may have accumulated debris and soot over the time is was not used which can cause some problems once you started using them again. For chimneys, it is better to seal or cover them with chimney caps and screens to keep out birds and rodents.

Inspecting and winterizing your home would not only help you against the winter ahead, but it would also help you reduce on your fuel costs. Unchecked and non properly maintained parts of your home could cause safety issues and the same tine increase your maintaining cost.

1. Know your windows. Before you embark into your winterization task, first figure what types of windows you have. Doing so will enable you to find the compatible treatment and installations needed . There are varied types of windows: single-hung, double-hung, horizontal sliding, swing out, and slat piece, among others. Also, consider how old your windows are, because if they are rather old and function quite unfavorably, perhaps what you need to do is replace them. Though this move may cost you more, this is more practical in the long run.

2. Check the windows for leaks. There are a lot of ways to do this, and one is with the use of a candle. Hold a lit candle at least four inches from the window, and notice if the flame flickers if it does, great chances youve spotted the leak. You can also use an incense stick. Watch the smoke trail as it moves with air current; it will lead you to a leak, if there is.

3. Install weatherstripping to remedy leaks. The type of weatherstripping to use and how to install it depends on the type of your window. You can buy a weatherstripping kit or buy the materials separately. Some of the materials often used are felt, aluminum, and vinyl. Install weatherstripping along frames, sash, and sides, depending on the type of your window.

4. Caulk your windows. Caulking is done to seal any cracks and gaps on your windows. Apply caulk around the frame, sash, or anywhere there is a crack that encourages heat loss. Interior caulking is better, although exterior caulking is also done for weatherproofing. Caulk wears out over time, so it is important to replace and re-apply when winterizing.

5. Cover the windows with shrink plastic. While this doesnt appeal aesthetically, plastic can be an easy solution to leaky windows. You can cover either the outside or inside windows, although some prefer the latter. With double-sided tapes plastered on the window frames, attach the shrink plastic, which you can buy from home improvement stores, and spread across the windows. Use a hair dryer to shrink and smoothen out the plastic. In place of a shrink plastic, you can use plastic wrap for food.

6. Install blinds. Match it with multi-layered treatments such as vinyl-backed curtains and draperies. This way, you can keep the warm air in and the cold air out. It is recommended to have as much layers as you can to keep more warm air inside. In place of blinds, drapes alone would do just as well in winterizing your windows.