Its getting cold outside and you haven't even thought about preparing your home for winter. Well, now is the time to get ready. Winter is just around the corner and we need to have our homes, cars, trailers and boats ready. In this article I'll discuss some of the great products that are available to winterize your home so you can save on energy and be comfy, cozy throughout the cold weather.

The first thing we'll look at is Shrink Wrap for your windows. Various sources suggest that you can save 10% to 20% on your energy bill just by installing this one product on all your windows. Shrink wrap or shrink film as many companies call it, basically covers your entire window from the inside, sealing out drafts. It is easy to install; once you do a window or two you should be able to do the rest of your windows in five minutes a piece. Shrink wrap is also inexpensive, at WalMart this morning it was selling for $11.47 per box. The box held enough to cover ten windows. You can find instructions for installing shrink wrap in another one of my articles, How to Shrink Wrap Your Windows.

The next thing you might need to do is cover your pipes with insulation. Particularly, if you have any pipes exposed to the outside air, you'll want to cover them with insulation. There is a special type of foam wrap you can buy that simply slips around your pipe. If you have a cold basement it may be beneficial to cover those pipes too. For extra energy savings wrap your hot water heater with a special wrap designed for it, and go ahead and insulate your hot water pipes.

Leaky doors are also big culprits on letting cold air in and hot air out. There is inexpensive insulating tape you can use around the door or you can upgrade to a nice looking rubber gasket that will surround your drafty door. At the bottom of the door you may want to install a specially designed door sweep to keep the cold air out. If you have a screen door, you could shrink wrap the screened part so your screen door functions a little bit like a storm door.

Outdoor faucets need to be protected also. There are special insulated covers you can buy for these. Some are made out of a cloth material and others look like half of a Styrofoam bra. I know that the ones that are made out of Styrofoam work really well.

Air conditioner covers are a must in the winter time. Cold air will blow right in and hot air will blow right out of the air conditioner.
If you buy a cover buy a heavy duty cover. You may even want to put some insulation around and on back of the air conditioner before you put the cover on. Secure it tightly. It is normally best just to remove the air conditioner and store it until spring.

Minor air leaks under windows can be sealed with a strip of foam tape. Simply apply it to the bottom of the window, close the window and lock it. Of course, you'll want to do this before you put the Shrink Wrap over the window.

If you have a shallow well, like is the case in some of the southern states, you'll want to make sure your pump doesn't freeze. Open the cover and make sure the light bulb is working. If you don't have a light installed, simply run a one piece extension cord out to the well cover, Hook up a small electric light near the pump and turn it on. Cover your well back up.

There are many products and many things you can do to get your home ready for winter. Most of the supplies you need can be purchased at a hardware store, WalMart, or K-Mart. Get started now so you will be ready for the winter.

You may also want to read:

Weatherizing Your Windows for Winter, How to Install Shrink Wrap

Weatherizing Your House for Winter, Products You Can Use to Insulate Your Home

Weatherizing: How to Get Your Car Ready for Winter

Mechanics: Getting Your Lawn Mower Ready for Winter Storage

Mechanics: Jump Starting Your Car, How to Jump Start a Car

Heating: How Do Today's Coal Furnaces Compare to their Ancesters, Are They a Viable Option