Is your home ready for winter? 7 tips to follow before the cold season arrives
What should you consider already now, so that your home would be a warm, cosy and secure castle once the cold season arrives?
Check out our tips and prepare yourself for the winter. Home insurance will help you in unexpected situations.
Sadly, each year we hear of fire accidents that cause fire and water damages to people’s homes. In the worst cases some families lose their homes or loved ones. In many cases fires start from faulty electrical systems or devices as well as unclean chimneys or heating systems. In 2023, there were 359 fires in residential buildings in Estonia, and 35 people lost their lives as a result of the fires.
There is quite a lot we can do to ensure that our homes are fire-safe and the risks would not have any consequences during the cold season. Here are some tips on what to do before winter, so that the you can spend cold season safely in your warm home.
1. Make sure your heating system is functioning properly
Now is a good time to check whether the heating systems of your home are functional – regardless of whether you use a gas boiler, heating pump or solid fuel for heating. If something requires fixing, it is certainly more convenient to do that while the days are still warm.
To ensure a high-quality result, it is a good idea to order maintenance or any repairs that are required from a specialized company.
2. Protect the piping from cold
When preparing your summer cottage or garden cabin that will not be heated in winter, make sure to drain any water from the pipes (also from the heating system). Otherwise the water may freeze. You should also drain any water from the watering systems of your summer cottage or garden. Freezing is a very common damage that can be easily prevented.
Also, make sure that the pipes do not leak – a leak may be a sign of internal damage in the system.
3. Clean your chimney
Before the heating season begins, house-owners who heat their homes with solid fuel or who have fireplaces for cosy live fire must have the chimney cleaned. If the chimney looks fine from outside, people rarely think about it before something irregular happens. The chimney should be cleaned once a year to ensure the fire-safety of your home.
Soot, dirt and debris builds up in the chimney during the heating period. When burning wood, highly flammable soot builds up on the internal surface of the chimney. Among other things, the quantity of soot also depends on the type of wood. For instance, pine should not be used for heating namely for this reason.
If’s statistics of fire accidents in 2023
- 119 fires reported
- 18,200 EUR – average indemnification
- 100,000 EUR – the largest indemnification amount
- 74,000 EUR – the largest indemnification amount for apartment fire
Chimneys may also be clogged by tree leaves carried there by the wind, and sometimes even bird nests. This impacts the draught in the chimney, prevents the smoke from getting out, and may cause a serious fire hazard. To prevent accidents, the Rescue Board recommends to clean the chimney once a year before the beginning of the heating period.
4. Make sure that the fire detector is functioning
In Estonia, fire detectors are obligatory in all houses and apartments. Since 2022, carbon monoxide detectors are also obligatory in buildings with gas and solid fuel heaters. Carbon monoxide is produced by partial combustion. It is odourless and colourless, and thus unnoticeable, but fatally poisonous. Installation of a carbon monoxide detector only costs some twenty euros, but it is of great help – it detects the gas in a second and emits an alarm.
A smoke detector only helps if it functions. Make sure that the battery is not depleted, and test the detector regularly. The Rescue Board recommends to do it once a month.
5. Check your premises
Before the first snow, carefully inspect the whole building, including the façade and foundation. Here, a golden rule applies: it is cheaper and easier to prevent a problem than deal with the consequences later on.
If necessary, clean the roof where lots of debris may be stuck. Leaves and twigs, needles and moss collect moisture and may eventually damage the roof. Therefore, do not forget regular cleaning of the roof as well as its structures – rain pipes and channels.
6. Check the electrical system of your home
Short circuits and other faults of the electrical system may cause unpleasant situations and even a lot of problems. Each year hundreds of fires in Estonia start from outdated and poorly built electrical systems that fail under the load.
To make sure your home is safe, you may want to have your electrical system inspected every five years. However, the safety of systems should definitely be checked after every major modification of the electrical system. Make sure to use qualified specialists to ensure the high quality of the work.
7. Consult your insurance company if you are planning to leave home for a longer period
If you are planning to spend the winter in a warmer climate or travel for longer than 3 weeks, you should consult your insurance company. Various risks may increase in a home that stays empty for a longer period. Therefore, please make sure that you can leave without having to change anything in the insurance agreement.
If Home Insurance – your softer landing in case of problems with your home
We all expect our homes to be the safest place for us. If you do all you can soon enough, you can prevent quite a few accidents.
If something happens and you have a home insurance, it will help you when you need it – even for smaller problems at home. For example, if the heating system or a pipe breaks or the lock of your door freezes in winter, the Home Insurance All Risk Package includes Home Help to assist you 24/7. Home Help can be ordered by calling the insurance line 777 1211. You can conveniently report damages at If Self-service and in If Mobile app.
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