Winterizing your Lowcountry Home

Sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it? Especially for our northern transplants and snowbirds the thought of winterizing your Lowcountry home can seem laughable, but there are a few things you can do to save energy, money and a little hassle this time of year.

January is the coldest month in Charleston, SC where overnight temps average around 36.9°F. If your home has any drafts from doors, windows, attics you’ll be wasting energy through the winter in these areas. Dominion Energy offers FREE virtual energy consults to help you determine where you could be saving and certain places in your home that need a little TLC (think caulking windows or replacing weather seals) .

A professionally trained member of the Dominion Energy SC team will review with you a variety of measures that have an impact on your home’s energy efficiency to include:

• Insulation Levels
• Heating & Cooling Systems
• Water Heaters
• Appliances
• Caulking
• Weather Stripping
• Windows & Doors

For more information or to schedule your consult visit them online. In person consults will resume once it is safe to do so.

Think your house is energry efficient and free of drafts? Here are some other at home tips for the winter months in the Lowcoutnry:

• Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans.
  Many ceiling fans have a switch on them that you can flip to have them run clockwise (pushing warm air down) in the wintertime; if you can flip this switch, now is the time to do it.
• Inspect your fireplace.
  This should be done annually. In addition make sure to keep your flute closed when not in use.
• Blow out your Sprinkler System.
  Our frozen nights may be few and far in between but the cost of fixing an irrigation system is costly. Home Depot gives a good how to on this winterizing tip here.
• After the leaves fall clean your gutters one last time.
  Gutters are there to run off water, not catch leaves, and in the case of any ice or melting snow you want yours to be clear and ready to do their job.
• Make sure to have your HVAC unit serviced annually and on time. Professional companies will appropriately treat your systems for the upcoming cold temps avoiding any costly issues or money draining leaks.
• Flush your water heater.
  Sediment collects over time and a good clean out can vastly improve the efficiency of even newer water heaters especially in chillier temps.

Enjoy our mild temperatures this Winter while saving money and staying cozy! If you’re thinking about selling your home in Charleston or looking for the perfect fit please reach out- I would love to assist!