how to winterize your manufactured home
how to winterize your manufactured home
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winterize
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how to winterize your manufactured home
is your manufactured home ready for
the rigors of winter? the maintenance steps you take now can
eliminate expensive repairs, and make your home safer and
more energy efficient when cold weather sets in. with the
right information, you can do the work yourself instead of
paying someone else to do it. it takes a little planning and
effort to winterize your manufactured home, but it's not as
difficult as you may think. take action now to protect your
manufactured home from leaks, heat loss, drafts and the danger
of a winter fire.
> preparing
your home for cold weather
> home heating
maintenance tips
preparing
your home for cold weather
a simple tube of silicone caulk may
be your best investment this heating season. polyurethane
caulking is a good all-around choice for sealing your manufactured
home from drafts and leaks. places to be caulked outside the
home include: gutter and downspout seams, plumbing and furnace
vent pipes, around flashing seams between roof and siding,
around door and window frames, along siding joints, around
the dryer vent, at the tv antenna wire entrance and at pipe
feed-throughs.
weather stripping exterior doors and
windows is an inexpensive heat-saver. to detect heat loss,
just hold your hand at the edge of a window or door frame
on a windy day. if you feel a draft, weather-strip the area.
a well-maintained roof lowers your energy
bills and prevents costly water damage. the edges and seams
or expansion joints of a metal roof should be sealed every
year. use a roof coating suggested by a local dealer or service
center, and apply to a dry, properly prepped surface. make
sure you apply the recommended thickness. put a good seal
around vent caps for the furnace, water heater and exhaust
fans. repair any punctures, cracks or breaks in your roof.
remember to tighten or replace any loose fasteners.
the blocks or jacks that support your
manufactured home should be in good condition. if they're
not, have them repaired immediately to prevent sagging, which
can cause damage to windows, doors, joints and walls.
slightly loosen your home's tie-downs
if you live in an area where the ground freezes solid. ground
can "heave" as much as three inches during the winter,
and tie-downs leave no place for the manufactured home to
move. that can result in serious structural damage. remember
to tighten tie-downs again in spring.
check your home's skirting. it should
be secure, but not so tight that it stops ventilation or vertical
movement. once winter sets in, be sure to shovel snow and
ice away from the skirting to avoid denting and cutting off
the air supply required by the furnace.
frozen pipes can mean big trouble. one
of the simplest methods to prevent water pipes from freezing
is with heat tapes. these contain a heating element encased
in a tape that is wrapped around water pipes. the heating
element warms the pipes and prevents freezing. if you install
the heat tape, follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.
if you have a heat tape already installed, make certain it's
still operative. if it is worn or loose, replace it. make
sure you never overlap heat tape - it can cause a fire.
be sure your storm windows and doors
are in place and in good repair; they keep your energy costs
down. even if your window frames and doors are caulked and
weather stripped properly, heat can still escape. properly
installed storm windows and doors can cut your home's heat
loss by 50 percent.
check exterior doors for wear, tear,
cracking or fading. look for signs of leaking around the sill
and threshold. make sure weather stripping and seals are okay.
inspect under your manufactured home for sagging, torn or
water spotted insulation. carefully examine your exterior
siding and replace any missing or damaged fasteners or screws.
to avoid winter water damage, be sure
to clean out and inspect rain gutters for leaks or holes.
they should be slanted so water runs away from your manufactured
home. don't forget to check and repair downspouts and extensions.
home heating
maintenance tips
it's very important to make sure your
manufactured home furnace operates safely and efficiently
during winter weather. you can perform many routine furnace
maintenance jobs, while other procedures are best handled
by a qualified repair person. most furnace manufacturers recommend
a professional inspection of fuel lines, safety controls,
burner and flue pipe every year. your utility company may
provide a free inspection.
you should replace disposable furnace
filters regularly. remove and wash, brush or vacuum permanent
filters. remove the cover of the thermostat and vacuum away
dust and dirt. check the exhaust vent from furnace. clear
obstructions like leaves or animal nests from the vent pipe.
keep roof exhaust vents clear of excess snow build-up.
inspect blower motor. vacuum any accumulated
dirt. inspect v-belt and pulleys for wear. if the belt moves
more than an inch when you push it, tighten it. check air
intake. most manufactured home furnaces draw combustion air
from beneath the home, so keep four to six vents in the skirting
to allow free air passage.
check flue assembly for alignment and
rigidity. it should run in a straight line from the top of
furnace through the ceiling. be sure the flue is attached
to the furnace collar. check to make sure there is no loose
wiring near the flue. if there is wiring in the flue area,
move and secure it well away from the flue pipe.
carpeting in furnace compartment should
be removed and replaced with fireproof material. some manufactured
home furnaces have wire mesh in front of the stack to prevent
storage on top of the furnace. if this mesh is missing, replace
it.
clean out debris in furnace area, and
don't allow even small amounts to accumulate. never use your
furnace closet for storage or drying clothes. this is a fire
hazard.
caution!: never attempt to
repair gas lines in your manufactured home. if you smell gas,
call a repair person or your gas company immediately.
in addition to your furnace check you
should also properly maintain your space heater, fireplace
or wood stove. both electric and liquid fuel-powered space
heaters must be placed at least 36 inches away from anything
combustible. if you have a liquid fuel-powered space heater,
use only the fuel recommended by the manufacturer. never use
gasoline or any other substitute fuel. when refueling, always
turn off the heater and wait until it cools down before adding
fuel.
have your fireplace chimney inspected
and cleaned by a professional every winter. creosote, a chemical
substance that forms when wood burns, builds up in chimneys
and can cause a chimney fire if the chimney is not properly
cleaned. always protect your home and family by using a sturdy
fireplace screen when burning wood. remember to burn only
wood - never burn paper or pine boughs or coal. these can
float out the chimney and ignite your roof.
chimney connections and chimney flues
on wood stoves should be inspected at the beginning of each
heating season and cleaned periodically. remove ashes as they
accumulate, and be sure to follow any additional maintenance
instructions provided by the wood stove manufacturer. burn
only wood and be sure the wood stove is placed on an approved,
fire-resistant surface to protect the floor of your manufactured
home from heat and hot coals.
play it safe and observe proper maintenance
and safety rules before starting your furnace, space heater,
fireplace or wood stove this winter.
finally, don't forget to check your
fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. keep one fire extinguisher
in the kitchen and another near the furnace. use a multiple-purpose
dry chemical extinguisher suitable for use on class a, b and
c fires. small home fire extinguishers operate only five to
ten seconds, so take careful aim before using. test your smoke
detectors often to be sure they're operational, and replace
batteries before the weather gets cold. you should have one
detector located high on the wall or ceiling adjacent to your
bedroom areas and another in the kitchen.
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