Colorado provides some of the best skiing destinations in the entire United States. Our home state is an outdoorsman’s heaven and many of the locals have had winter vacation homes in their families for decades. Over time, people have developed techniques to protect their homes in the colder months and that is vital to maintaining a four-season vacation destination.
Here are some tips we have found to keep those ski cabins running through the harsh Colorado winters.
Drain Your Pipes
Assuming you have a ski cabin, you’ll need to have it functional during the winter months. If you can’t afford to drain your pipes and leave it be, you’ll want to pay attention to these winter plumbing tips:
- Leave the faucets and shower turned to a trickle to keep water flowing and pipes from freezing.
- Insulate all pipes that are above ground with heavy-duty inline heaters.
- If possible, use buckets of melted ice and leave the water off during your stay.
The last tip is really the most viable option. You don’t want to have your water on in below-freezing temperatures because the risk is just too great. When you leave the cabin in the fall, make sure all of the water is drained from the pipes and the valve is turned to the off position.
Melt the Ice
While icicles on your cabin might look pretty, they are actually causing harm to your home. Icicles form when the attic of your home’s heating up snow of the roof and causing it to meltdown towards your eave. When it gets to the edge, it freezes up again and causes the icicles that you see. To combat this, turn off the heat when you leave in the winter. Your attic will cool down shortly and keep the snow from transforming into dangerous icicles.
Beware of Visitors
Ski cabins typically lie in colder parts of Colorado where the mountains provide the best terrain. Unfortunately, the animals that live in these climates would much rather be in the comfort of your home than the chill of the outdoors. Small rodents like mice and squirrels will seek shelter inside of your cabin and it is up to you to keep them out. Take the fall season to seal up any cracks or holes caused by age, plumbing or heating, and ventilation repairs.
At AAA Service, we have been providing plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical service to the Denver area for quite some time now. Our customers appreciate our commitment to customer service and our goal to better the community around us. As we head into the colder months, we hope you will make the smart decision and choose AAA Service for all of your heating needs this season.
To schedule service, call (303) 313-3333 or visit us on the web!
