Wake me up when February ends.
When the temperature drops, you just want to hibernate inside a soft blanket while watching Netflix. All of a sudden – BAM! – a pipe bursts, your water heater is on the fritz, and you slip on the ice walking out to your car. Before you go crazy, here are seven ways to deal with Winter (unless you’re like these guys):
1) UPGRADE
We’ve all been there – everyone in the family takes a shower and when it’s finally your turn, there’s no more hot water. The solution is simple: upgrade to a tankless hot water heater! A traditional water heater stores the hot water in a tank, whereas a tankless will heat up the water whenever you turn it on. It’s way more efficient, delivering a constant supply of hot water and eliminating the energy costs of keeping gallons of water hot in storage.
TIP: A hot water heater should be replaced every 10 years. Contact the experts at Green Art about heating equipment.
2) UNFREEZE PIPES
If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, here’s a helpful video from our friends at SharkBite that shows you how to repair a burst pipe. You can find all the materials you need at Green Art’s pickup counter. Otherwise, you’ll want to call a licensed plumber to help. Then pick up some pipe heating cables to avoid this disaster in the future (we triple dog dare you!).
TIP: A LeakSmart system will immediately shut off your water supply and alert you of any leaks. Be proactive and get yours at Green Art!
3) LIGHT A FIRE
Not every home comes with a fireplace – until now! An electric fireplace makes a simple, cozy solution for your Winter blues. There are so many ways to go: mantle, TV console, wall-mounted, or stovebox. Plus, there’s no wood to chop or ash to clean. The heating experts at Green Art can help you find the perfect fireplace for your home.
TIP: A firebox can be installed into an existing fireplace.
4) WALK ON WARMTH
Radiant floor heating is a great option for basements, bathrooms, or any room in the house. SunTouch heated flooring can be installed under almost any floor type without diving into an expensive construction project. Your little piggies will thank you.
TIP: Radiant heating can also be installed underneath driveway pavement to melt snow and ice, in which case, you can skip #5.
5) MELT ICE
You won’t be slipping n’ sliding now that you have all that ice melt and rock salt from Green Art. What’s that? You haven’t gotten it yet? What are you waiting for?! Stock up before the next snowfall.
TIP: Instead of rock salt, use calcium chloride on driveways and walkways and near vegetation – it melts the ice quicker and is non-corrosive. Use magnesium chloride for areas where your pets may walk.
6) INSTA-COCOA
What’s better than a nice cup of hot chocolate? A nice cup of hot chocolate NOW! After adding an instant hot water dispenser to your kitchen sink, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. You can also make tea, coffee, oatmeal, and Ramen noodles, cook pasta and vegetables, thaw frozen meat, clean silverware, heat baby bottles and compresses, fill foot baths – the possibilities are endless.
TIP: Some instant hot dispensers also dispense filtered cold drinking water. Find one that matches the finish of your kitchen faucet at Green Art!
7) EMBRACE IT
If all else fails, pull up your snow pants, strap on your boots and gloves, and face Winter head-on with a positive attitude. Make a snow angel, build a snowman, throw a snowball, go ice skating, sledding, skiing, snowboarding, or tubing, and enjoy all that winter has to offer. Spring will be here before we know it!
TIP: Be careful out there. [Warning: Some strong language.]
