How to Winterize Your Long Island Home:
Plumbing & Heating Checklist

Heating System Prep

The single most important thing you can do to winterize your home is make sure your heating system is ready before you need it. On Long Island, that means getting your oil boiler serviced before October. Waiting until the first cold snap means competing with every other homeowner who put it off, and that can mean days without heat while you wait for an appointment.

Start by scheduling your annual boiler tune-up. A professional cleaning removes soot buildup from the combustion chamber, replaces the nozzle and oil filter, and tests the system for efficiency and safety. This single visit catches the majority of problems that cause mid-winter breakdowns. If your technician finds an issue during the tune-up, you have time to address it before temperatures drop.

Next, check your oil tank level. Make sure it's at least half full before the heating season rush begins. Oil companies get slammed with delivery requests once cold weather hits, and running low on fuel in January can leave you waiting. Order a delivery in September or early October to stay ahead.

Replace the batteries in your thermostat. A dead thermostat battery is one of the most common reasons a heating system doesn't fire, and it's the easiest to prevent. While you're at it, test that the thermostat is reading temperature accurately and triggering the boiler when it should.

Turn your heating system on early, mid-October at the latest, and let it run for a full cycle. Listen for unusual sounds, check that the boiler fires and shuts down correctly, and walk through every room to verify heat is reaching all zones. If your system doesn't fire or heats unevenly, call for service now rather than waiting until December when technicians are booked solid.

If you have a hot water baseboard system, bleed your radiators before the season starts. Trapped air inside baseboard radiators prevents hot water from circulating properly, leaving cold spots in rooms that should be warm. Open the bleed valve on each radiator with a flat-head screwdriver or radiator key, let air escape until water flows steadily, then close it. Check your zone valves as well. Walk through each zone and confirm that heat reaches every room when the thermostat calls for it.

Pipe Protection

Frozen pipes are the most expensive winter problem Long Island homeowners face. When water freezes inside a pipe, it expands with enough force to split copper, PEX, and even steel. A single burst pipe can release hundreds of gallons of water into your home within hours, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage to floors, walls, ceilings, and personal belongings. The good news: frozen pipes are almost entirely preventable if you take the right steps before winter arrives.

Start by insulating every exposed pipe in unheated areas of your home. Foam pipe insulation is inexpensive, available at any hardware store, and takes minutes to install. You just slip it over the pipe and seal the seam. Focus on the areas where pipes are most vulnerable: the basement near exterior walls, crawl spaces, the garage, and the attic. Any pipe that runs through an unheated space or along an exterior wall is at risk.

During extreme cold, when temperatures drop below 20°F, open the cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks on exterior walls. This lets warm air from the room circulate around the pipes behind the cabinet, which can make the difference between a frozen pipe and a flowing one. It's a simple step that costs nothing and works.

On the coldest nights, let your faucets drip slightly. Even a slow trickle of water through a pipe makes it significantly less likely to freeze. Moving water requires much lower temperatures to freeze than standing water. Focus on faucets connected to pipes that run along exterior walls or through unheated spaces.

Before the first freeze, disconnect and drain all outdoor garden hoses. A hose left connected to an outdoor spigot traps water inside the hose bib and the pipe behind it, and that trapped water will freeze and crack the fitting. If your home has interior shut-off valves for exterior hose bibs, close them and open the outdoor faucet to drain any remaining water.

If you're leaving your home for an extended period during winter, whether for vacation or a seasonal absence, never set your thermostat below 65°F. Pipes in exterior walls and unheated spaces can freeze even when the rest of the house feels warm, and 65°F provides enough residual heat to prevent most freezing. Leave cabinet doors open under sinks, and consider having a neighbor check on the house every few days.

Water Heater Prep

Your water heater works harder during winter as incoming water temperatures drop and your household's demand for hot water increases. A little attention before the season starts can prevent problems and keep hot water flowing reliably all winter.

Check your water heater's temperature setting. The recommended setting is 120°F, hot enough for comfortable showers and effective cleaning, but low enough to prevent scalding and reduce energy waste. If the dial has been bumped or adjusted, now is the time to reset it.

Inspect the area around the base of the water heater and all pipe connections for signs of leaks. Even a small drip can indicate a failing fitting or a tank that's beginning to corrode internally. Catching a leak early is far less expensive than dealing with a flooded utility room.

If you have a standalone tank water heater (not an indirect), consider flushing sediment from the bottom of the tank. Over time, minerals and debris settle at the bottom and act as insulation between the burner and the water, forcing the heater to work harder. If you hear rumbling or popping sounds when the heater fires, sediment buildup is the likely cause. Attach a garden hose to the drain valve, run it to a floor drain, and flush until the water runs clear.

If your water heater is an indirect model connected to your oil boiler, the heating side gets covered during your annual boiler tune-up. But the tank itself still needs a visual inspection for leaks, corrosion, and proper operation of the pressure relief valve.

Emergency Preparedness

Even with thorough preparation, Long Island winters can throw curveballs: ice storms, power outages, and equipment failures happen. Being prepared for an emergency means knowing what to do and who to call before the situation gets worse.

Keep Dole Service's number handy: (631) 261-7729. We offer 24/7 emergency heating service and can respond quickly when your system goes down in the middle of the night or on a weekend.

Learn where the reset button is on your oil burner. If your boiler locks out, you can press the reset button once to attempt a restart. But never press it more than once. Repeated resets can flood the combustion chamber with unburned oil, creating a dangerous situation. If the burner doesn't fire after one reset, call for service.

Know where your main water shut-off valve is located. If a pipe bursts, shutting off the water supply immediately can be the difference between a manageable cleanup and catastrophic water damage. Find the valve now, make sure it turns freely, and show every adult in your household where it is.

Stock basic supplies for a power outage: flashlights, extra batteries, warm blankets, and a battery-powered radio. If you lose power for an extended period in freezing temperatures, your heating system won't run. Even oil and gas systems need electricity for controls and circulation pumps.

If you smell oil near your boiler or oil tank, call us immediately. An oil leak can indicate a cracked tank, a failed fitting, or a line problem that needs professional attention. And if your carbon monoxide detector goes off, leave the house immediately, call 911, and then call us. Never re-enter the home until emergency responders have cleared it.

Winterization Checklist Summary

• Schedule your annual boiler tune-up before October
• Check your oil tank level and order a delivery before the rush
• Replace thermostat batteries and test your heating system early
• Bleed radiators and check all heating zones
• Insulate exposed pipes in basements, crawl spaces, garages, and attics
• Open cabinet doors under sinks on exterior walls during extreme cold
• Disconnect and drain outdoor garden hoses
• Inspect your water heater for leaks and flush sediment if needed
• Know your main water shut-off valve location
• Save Dole Service's number: (631) 261-7729

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