Month: December 2015

Congrats on buying a new house in Pomona, CA. It is a pretty exciting time, and as you transform the house into your own home, you need to do whatever you can to make it truly yours. While there are fun ways to make it your own, including interior decorating, implementing your own color pallet and upgrades around the house, there are other upgrades you need to make designed to save you money each and very winter. Winterizing tips make it possible to do just that. 

Caulk and Weather Stripping

Look around your windows. This is especially the case on older homes (or at least dated windows). Cracks form around the windows. These slight cracks can drop the energy efficiency of your home HVAC unit 5 to 30 percent annually and especially in the winter. So, fill in these cracks with caulk. For thicker gaps or spaces around doors, pick up some new weather stripping. 

New Insulation

It is never a bad time to add new insulation to your home. Plus, the federal government provides grants and tax credits reimbursing you for up to 30 percent of the cost. From the walls in your home to the roof in your attic, this is a major money saver. 

Insulate the Pipes

Almost everyone knows someone who’s pipes have frozen, such as when they went on vacation, leading to a burst pipe. This is a major financial burden to clean up from. You can avoid this and also save money on your hot water by insulating the pipes. 

Ductwork

Like the pipes, you want to insulate the ductwork. This is more important if you have exposed ducts. It reduces heat loss and improves energy efficiency. 

From our experts at THINK Insurance & Financial Services, we want to help you save money on your home energy bills. These winterizing tips are not difficult to perform or time consuming, but each is going to save you substantially all year. 

Living in Ontario, CA means dealing with all sorts of road conditions. In the winter, you may be exposed to snow and ice, especially if you take a trip into the mountains. Working on your driving knowledge for the winter months can help you to avoid a collision.

Learn About Traction

Traction is very important, especially when it comes to snow and ice. Your standard tires may not be capable of providing you with the needed traction. This is why many people invest in snow tires because the thinner tire is capable of providing greater through snow and ice.

Invest in Snow Chains

If you plan on traveling up to Big Bear or any of the other mountains, you may require snow chains when the winter conditions get harsh. In some instances, the roads require the chains to be on your car, so you will want to have them and know how to put them on.

Avoid a Tail

It takes longer to brake when you are driving on slippery surfaces and therefore you want to avoid a tail – don’t tail the person in front of you and don’t allow others to tail you too closely.

Read the Roads

You should always be reading the roads when you drive. Look ahead at least 100 feet in order to find out how the roads are going to change. There may be potholes, a soft shoulder, or some other kind of changing terrain that you need to be aware of. This will allow you to modify your driving style and still be safe.

At THINK Insurance & Financial Services, we look forward to helping you with auto insurance. Call and one of our agents can guide you through the coverage options, get quotes for you, and more. We work with some of the top insurance companies in California, providing you with quality coverage.