Winterizing

[snaffle]

Please share all of your winterizing techniques and secrets here!!
Those things that you do each fall in order to cut heat bills, or help to get through those bitter winter days.

1. Check the caulk around the outside of windows. It can get brittle after a few years and fall out.

2. Put plastic up inside the windows that are drafty. Put plastic up on ANY window and you will notice a big difference when the wind blows.

3. Stack straw around hydrants to help keep them from freezing. OR have a large black tube that can be set over the entire hydrant to help insulate it during the bitter days.

4. Put some type of protection around water tanks to help hold heat.

5. Buy a spare tank heater and keep it handy.

[linda]

Put heat tape on your frost-free faucet if you have a convenient plug-in.

Keep a spare hose that will reach the stock tanks inside the house or some other warm location.

Have a back-up location you can run water from should your frost-free hydrant freeze. Most laundry tubs have a threaded faucet that the garden hose will screw onto.

If your stock tank de-izer doesn't have its own thermostat, buy a freeze-plug at the appropriate temperature range. You don't need to be running electricity to that heater if the temperature is above freezing.

[snaffle]

Fill several jugs with water.

If your electricity goes out, you need at least 3 gallons to flush the toilet one time.

You can use your water jugs that are used to haul water to horse shows, fill those and put them in the basement. That water can be used for toilet flushing or watering your horses if it is needed.

Keep clean containers of water in storage for drinking.