SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. -Â As the weather cools down, CoastTV spoke with local experts on winterizing your home and car.
Herb Jenkins, owner of Fuel Automotive says it's a good time to winterize your car. He said the number one thing he sees is pressure drop in tires when the cold weather arrives. He stresses to keep your tires inflated to the manufacturers specifications. Those psi levels can be found inside the drivers door.
Jenkins said the cold takes its toll on our cars. Especially batteries, wiper blades, and tires. He said to make sure you have at least 5/32 of tread depth on your tires.
He also mentions a cool winterizing trick at home. "Grab a bottle of isopropyl alcohol, and add that to your washer fluid, it's going to drop the freezing point with the additional alcohol. Because washer fluid is basically methanol, alcohol, and water. So you can drop, actually manipulate the freezing point of your wiper washer fluid, and it cleans better too", he added.
A home also needs to be winterized. Bryan Rush, CEO of Paul Davis Restorations said to start by shutting off all your foundation vents. He mentions that pipes are going to freeze first, typically underneath your home.
Make sure to insulate your crawl space, attic, and living area with the appropriate type of insulation.
Rush said make sure your thermostat is set no lower than 55 degrees. "There's too many things that happen for the health of the home, whether its pipes freezing, your trim expanding/contracting, your floors expanding/contracting", he said.
Rush suggests to drip the water from your faucet and open kitchen cabinets to let the ambient heat from your home keep the pipes from freezing. Finally, Rush said to remember the garage. It's typically the coldest room in the home. Make sure that pipes are wrapped and the garage door remains closed.
These helpful hints will lower bills and give you a peace of mind this upcoming winter.