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5 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Winter

Power - by Bryan Veldboom - updated on 12/5/2022

Snow covered house with Christmas lights and decorations

For much of the country, cold weather is right around the corner. Before the snow starts to fall, it's a good idea to make sure your home is ready for the change in season. Follow our winter home maintenance checklist for tips on how to make your home winter-ready.

1. Test Your Sump Pump Before Cold Weather Hits

A sump pump helps to prevent basement flooding by pumping melting snow and ice away from your home toward a storm drain, pond or dry well. If you have a sump pump, now's a good time to make sure that it's working properly.

  • Test your sump pump by pouring a few gallons of water into the sump pit to make sure that it turns on.
  • If your sump pump system has a backup pump, check to make sure that the batteries are still good.
  • If your battery is dead, you can find a replacement sump pump battery at Batteries Plus.
  • Don't have a sump pump? Learn more about sump pumps, including models available for purchase at Batteries Plus.

2. Consider How Home Generators Can Help in Winter

The winter months are prone to blizzards and other storms that can knock out the power in your home. Having a backup generator on hand is a great way to stay prepared. Generators allow you to keep your heater and lights working in the event of an emergency.

Learn more about generators, then shop our selection of generators and renewable energy solutions. If you need replacement generator batteries, we offer those too.

3. Check Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

  • Experts recommend that you check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors every six months.
  • Keep a supply of spare batteries at home for easy replacement. Most smoke and carbon monoxide detectors run on 9-volt batteries, although some take AA or AAA batteries.
  • Check the back of your smoke detector for the unit's expiration date - most have a life expectancy of ten years. You can pick up replacement smoke detectors at Batteries Plus.
  • Check the expiration date of your carbon monoxide detector - most last seven years. Batteries Plus offers replacement carbon monoxide detectors too.

4. Inspect Your Outdoor Lighting

Icy walkways can cause dangerous slips and falls. That's why it's important to check your outdoor lighting. Test your exterior lights and replace any spent bulbs with new light bulbs. LED bulbs perform very well in the cold, since they don't use heat or gasses in order to create light. Read our blog entitled "How to Prepare Your Outdoor Lights for Winter" for additional winter lighting tips.

5. Build a Winter Home Emergency Kit

Experts recommend keeping a kit of emergency supplies in your home in case of a storm or other winter emergency. Here are a few suggested items to help get you started:

Find Additional Essentials at Batteries Plus

Now that your house is ready for winter, what about your car? Bring your vehicle to any one of our 700+ stores and have your battery tested for free. If you're worried about your car dying in the cold weather, pick up a jump starter. These portable batteries allow you to jump-start your car without the need for another vehicle. You'll also find additional extras in our auto center, including spare headlight bulbs, windshield wiper blades, jumper cables and more.

Are you prepared for an emergency?

Emergency Prep Guide

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