Tips from A to Z
Periodic maintenance on your home is necessary because of normal wear and tear, the inherent characteristics of the materials used, and normal service required by the mechanical systems. The Warranty Team at Winchester Homes will provide tips and tricks for maintaining your new home and also give guidance on performing simple repairs around the house.
Every homeowner should take a few minutes to locate the main water shut off valve in their home in the event of an emergency. This is important in case you need to shut off the water supply to your entire home or when a plumbing fixture has no local shut off valve. If a pipe should rupture, any delay can result in additional water discharging into your home which could cause significant damage.
Be prepared and understand where to find each of your water supply lines. The shut off valve will typically be located in the lower level mechanical room.
- Take caution when turning off your water because most water heaters require cold water to run through the lines to prevent damage.
- It is recommended that you clearly tag and mark the main water valve along with the hose bibs and sprinkler shut off valve (if applicable). This will make identification easy in the event of an emergency.
- Make sure that it is easy to get to. Clear the area around it, and make sure that you don't store boxes or other items in that area.
- If you can not locate your main water shut off valve, contact your water company for assistance.
Below is a short video walking you through the steps to locate your main water shut off valve.
If you have questions or concerns about your new home, please refer to your Homeowner's Manual or
contact the Winchester Homes Warranty Department for assistance.
When owning a gas fireplace, it is important to understand how it works to ensure you know when it is working properly for efficiency and safety purposes. Below is a short video highlighting some of they key things you should know about your fireplace
We also recommend that you get your fireplace inspected on a yearly basis by a licensed gas technician. Don’t wait until you need to use it. The best time to have this task performed is during the summer months so you can correct any issues for the fall and winter seasons.
When the person arrives, he or she should perform the following tasks:
- Adjust and clean the pilot safety system
- Check the venting system
- Ensure proper ignition and combustion
- Clean and inspect glass, firebox, and heat exchanger
- Check that all connections are secure and tight to prevent carbon monoxide leaks
- Check fan operation (if applicable)
- Paint firebox if necessary
If you have questions or concerns about your new home, please refer to your Homeowner's Manual or contact the Winchester Homes Warranty Department for assistance.
Spring has arrived! While many of you begin your spring cleaning routine, it is important to remember a few home maintenance tips that will help eliminate potential problems in the future. Here is a simple checklist you can use:
Interior Maintenance: Exterior Maintenance:
If you have questions or concerns about your new home, please refer to your Homeowner's Manual or
contact the Winchester Homes Warranty Department for assistance.
Sump pumps are used to remove water and acts as a last defense against flooding in your home. The sump pit is installed in the basement of your home and is set below the basement floor level. Around the foundation of the home there is drain tile, gravel and filter cloth. Water that drains into the soils around the outside of your home creates hydrostatic pressure. To keep things simple, the drain tile collects this water and passes it through the foundation weep hole locations. The sump pit will also collect water from areaway drains, window well drains, and AC condensation lines. The pit and pump location in the basement collects and evacuates this water to the outside of the home. When the water reaches a certain level, the float will engage, pumping the water from your sump pit through a discharge line to the outside.
Keeping your sump pump in excellent working order is very important to protecting your home from moisture damage. It will also help to protect your foundation from excessive soil moisture. Keep your area way and window wells clear of debris, leaves, snow etc. Periodically, clean out your AC condensation lines so the water can freely move to the sump pit location. The grading around the outside of your home should fall away from the foundation. If you have low or negative ground settlement conditions around the foundation of your home, address them immediately. Down spouts can also be a culprit for foundation water entering the home. Negative grading conditions can lead to serious foundation cracking and water entering the home's structure.
Testing of your sump pump should only take a few minutes and is very easy to do. Watch the short video below for step by step directions on what to do.
If you have questions or concerns about your new home, please refer to your Homeowner's Manual or
contact the Winchester Homes Warranty Department for assistance.
The snow has finally ended! Now it is time to start cleaning. Shoveling your driveway shouldn't be the only thing on your mind. Here are a few tips to help
Clean off your decks - The weight of the snow can cause damage to both your home and your deck. Make sure you use a plastic shovel to clear the snow; metal shovels can damage or strip the wood. Shovel the deck in the length-wise direction of the wood to avoid going across the slats and to protect the nails or screws that hold the deck together. Once the majority of the snow is removed, a large outdoor broom can help keep ice from forming. Finally, avoid using ice melts or salt.
Remove snow from your roof - Snow build-up on the roof and gutters can be a serious issue. It may cause gutters and spouts to pull away from your home's fascia (trim boards). It may also cause
ice-damming. Take pre-caution when removing snow from your roof. When possible, try to have a professional contractor remove the snow for you.
Clear snow from your HVAC unit - The outside HVAC units, especially heat pumps, must have a clear area of at least 3' around the unit. If the unit is covered in snow or ice, it needs to be removed in order for the unit to work properly. Turn the thermostat to Emergency Heat or off before removing snow and ice. Pour warm or hot water over the unit to melt the ice. Avoid using sharp objects to pick or knock off the ice...this could cause injury to the unit or to yourself.
Keep the downspouts open - Make sure your gutters and downspouts are clear of debris to accommodate melting snow. Also clear space around the openings of the downspout to allow water to drain.
Keep drains clear of debris - Snow can build up in your areaway blocking the drain. Clear snow from the areaway and make sure that the drain is clear of snow, ice, and any other debris to avoid flooding in your basement.
If you have questions or concerns about your new home, please refer to your Homeowner's Manual or
contact the Winchester Homes Warranty Department for assistance.
The hose bib is the faucet located on the outside of your home. In the winter when the weather gets colder, the water inside the tap and pipes can freeze causing damage to your pipes. Gary, from the Winchester Homes Warranty Department, walks through how to properly maintain your hose bibs to prevent them from freezing.
- Located the hose bib valves in your mechanical room. Turn them to the off position.
- On the outside of your home, remove any hoses and turn the hose bib water supply valves to the open position. (Leave them turned on throughout the winter)
- Return to the mechanical room and remove the bleeder caps to drain them of any residual water.
If you have questions or concerns about your new home, please refer to your Homeowner's Manual or
contact the Winchester Homes Warranty Department for assistance.
Ice damming usually occurs after a heavy snowfall and several days of freezing temperatures. The warmer air inside of your home leaks into the attic and will warm the underside of the roof causing snow and ice to melt. This melted water will drain along the roof until it reaches the cold overhang and then will refreeze oftentimes resulting in icicles. It can also occur when warmer air temperatures melts the snow on your roof, and then colder temperatures at night will re-freeze the water. This ice build-up is called ice damming, and if it is not prevented can cause damage to the roof and the interior of your home.
Here are a few ways that you can prevent this from happening to your home.
- Seal air leaks that may occur into your attic to stop warm air leakage. Gaps and cracks in your insulation around vent stacks or electrical wiring can significantly reduce your insulation's effectiveness.
- Make sure your attic has adequate insulation and ventilation so warm air that does reach attic space will escape before it melts the snow on the roof.
- Clean all leaves and debris from your gutters to allow melting water to flow away from your home.
Even though Virginia and Maryland only sees a few days of snow a year, it is still important to be aware of ice dams. They can form from as little as one inch of snow, and once inside, can cause damage to your home without you even knowing it.
The cold weather has arrived in the Washington DC metropolitan market and now is the time to start thinking about winterizing your new home. Here are a few tips and tricks from the Warranty Department at Winchester Homes.
1.) Take a look at your gutters. Are they clogged full of fall leaves? If so, make sure you remove the debris either by hand, scraper or even a spatula. Give your gutters a good rinse afterward to make sure everything gets flushed out and make sure the water is properly draining away from your home.
2.) Check your heating unit. If you haven’t done so already, turn it on to make sure that it is working. A slight odor when you first turn on your heat is normal. It should disappear in a few minutes. If your home is over a year old, consider having it cleaned by an HVAC specialist annually. Finally, don’t forget to change your filter on a regular basis.
3.) Don’t neglect your hose bibs. Shut off all the individual hose bib water supply valves. Make sure all garden hoses are removed and all the lines are drained of water. Finally, remove bleeder caps and keep in a safe location for easy retrieval in the spring.
4.) Check your alarms. Now is the perfect time to test out smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Test the batteries…if your alarms are older, it may be worth your while to test them with a small amount of smoke. Also, double check the location of your fire extinguisher and make sure that it isn’t expired.
For more advice, please visit our Winterization Guide.
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