Lesson Learned

When I first heard someone ask if I had "winterized" my home yet, I have to admit I just wasn't sure what they meant.  I was thinking of clothing and packing away all my summer clothes, and unpacking the winter clothes, coats, boots and making them readily available.  Making sure I had a snow shovel, and ice melt?  I had no idea.  I grew up in San Diego.  So that first winter was costly.

I had failed to "winterize" my swamp cooler.  The first most obvious problem was that all my heat was sailing straight up (heat rises) and out the swamp cooler vent.  I couldn't figure out why my house would not get warm and the first heat bill was insane!  I got this covered, or rather, covered the swamp cooler and put the sponge like pillow in the vent.

But my biggest problem came when winter was over.  My daughter turned on the pump for the swamp cooler for a very warm day in spring.  No problem.... in the beginning.  Soon though, water began pouring through the fan in the bathroom ceiling, and then water began pouring through the overhead light panels in the kitchen.  I'm not completely dense.  We turned off the pump to the swamp cooler and the water slowed down.

"Winterize" includes draining the copper piping from the swamp cooler... frozen pipes burst in the winter when they freeze... and when you turn the water on when it warms up... it fills your attic and drains through the ceiling!

Lesson learned.

This is a sponsored post however, all the points and views are my own.