Tips on to how to prepare for Siskiyou County’s cold winter weather from our Weatherization Technicians
Inspect and maintain your heat sources before it becomes crucial
Clean your wood stove inside and out and/or change the filters on your furnace. Here’s a quick guide for wood stove maintenance and a Step by Step guide from Consumer Reports on changing furnace filters.
Insulate exposed water pipes and outdoor spigots
This is easier to do before it gets cold. Frozen fingers (and frozen pipes) make the job a lot harder. Even if your pipes aren’t in danger of bursting, insulating your water pipes can save you money. The Spruce has a good guide to water pipe insulation options and local hardware stores can discuss your specific situation.
Caulking & sealing
In Siskiyou County’s intense climate we recommend checking the caulking around windows and doors at least every 2 years—especially on older homes. If you don’t know when it was last done, set aside some time to do it. It helps keep out the cold and moisture and makes your home more energy efficient. Check out this guide to sealing air leaks from Energy.gov for more detailed directions.
If you have old wood windows the glazing putty can become brittle or dry, crack, and let in cold air. You can fairly easily remove the old putty and reapply it. It takes practice to get it perfect—but you don’t have to do it perfectly for it to keep out cold air.
Window insulation kits
You can use the relatively cheap window insulation kits to block air leaks. You are essentially sealing the entire window behind a large sheet of plastic. The shrink wrap adheres to the inside of the window casing with double-sided tape; you then use a blow dryer to seal it in place. It means you can’t easily open the window but it can help keep the cold out.
Cleaning and repairing gutters
It may not immediately sound like it will help keep your home warm, but our Weatherization Crew probably sees more damage done by blocked gutters, and that damage often leads to cold air infiltrating your home.
How we can help
For income-qualified residents of Siskiyou County, Great Northern Services may be able to help you with the cost of fuel for heating your home. Our Energy Assistance Program helps approved applicants pay for electricity, wood, kerosene, or propane. Our Weatherization Program can help make your home more energy efficient with upgrades like double pane windows, door replacement or repair, insulation and more. You can apply for both programs with one application, available on our website, to request online, or by calling (530) 938-4115 ext. 120.