Preparing for winter

CliveOfIndia

FreeBear said:

Cherryfudge said:

I'm not a driver - what would people recommend to be road-worthy for bad weather?

Unimog - All wheel drive with a "go anywhere" attitude.

That did make me chuckle  

To answer the question (although, does it really matter if you're not a driver ?), there's not a lot you need to do specifically for winter, over and above the standard weekly checks.

But sensible things to double check are:

Tyres - if they're getting close to the minimum tread depth anyway, get them changed before the bad weather really sets in.

Likewise with wiper blades - if they're starting to smear a bit, get them changed.  They'll be having a lot of work to do.

Screen wash fluid - makes sure it's always kept topped up, and use the recommended dilution rate (for whatever brand you're using) for winter months.  You usually need a stronger solution in winter than you do for summer, mainly for the antifreeze properties.  And it depends where abouts in the country you are - it tends to get colder in Scotland than in the south of England, for instance.  And if you're doing a long journey, might be worth keeping an old 2 litre lemonade bottle full of water and an old cloth handy.  The windscreen tends to get loads of mud and salt spray flung up on it in winter - if you've got some water and a cloth, and you run out of screen wash because you've been using it so much, you can at least stop and wipe the windscreen by hand to tide you over until you can get to a service station to refill the screen wash.

Check the radiator.  In the normal course of things it shouldn't need topping up, but it's worth checking.  Again, make sure it's got the correct concentration of antifreeze - it should be OK unless you've topped it up with fresh water at some point.  But it's worth draining and refilling with fresh solution every so often, the recommended frequency will be in the owner's manual.

If the battery has shown any signs of struggling to start recently, and it's more than about 5 or 6 years old, consider putting a new battery on - winter weather puts a big strain on batteries, and if it's on its last legs anyway, a spell of very cold weather will kill it.

Aside from that, things to keep in the car:

A blanket or 2, warm clothes, basic snacks (choccy, crisps, nuts, etc.) - in case you get stuck and have to wait a while for the breakdown truck.

Keep your phone fully charged where possible.

A torch, small shovel, bag of cat litter - it's a half-decent alternative to grit if you get stuck in snow.

Depends where you're driving, of course, as to how much gear you want to lug around.  Driving around the centre of London or Birmingham is rather different to driving round B roads in Highland Scotland, miles from anywhere.

Maahes

I've always lived in a city so my winter preparations, both for house and car, consist of doing nothing

Jaybee_16

In terms of the car, just the usual checks on levels and tyres. I keep a bag of rock salt handy because a small snowfall or icy conditions and I can't get the car out.

Indoors I keep bottled water, learned after the freeze two years ago which left us without water for the best part of a week. Also have a power bank to charge the phone, a small camping gas stove just in case, candles and an old fashioned paraffin lamp.

Cherryfudge

FreeBear said: Unimog - All wheel drive with a "go anywhere" attitude.

How to be conspicuous in the suburbs.  

Cherryfudge

CliveOfIndia said:

To answer the question (although, does it really matter if you're not a driver ?), there's not a lot you need to do specifically for winter, over and above the standard weekly checks.

But sensible things to double check are: ...

Great list thanks! I'm not a driver but the rest of the family are and we're in a region where some roads aren't always passable. In other words, my job is to nag and buy provisions.  

Albermarle

Cherryfudge said:

CliveOfIndia said:

To answer the question (although, does it really matter if you're not a driver ?), there's not a lot you need to do specifically for winter, over and above the standard weekly checks.

But sensible things to double check are: ...

Great list thanks! I'm not a driver but the rest of the family are and we're in a region where some roads aren't always passable. In other words, my job is to nag and buy provisions.  

Cherryfudge said:

CliveOfIndia said:

To answer the question (although, does it really matter if you're not a driver ?), there's not a lot you need to do specifically for winter, over and above the standard weekly checks.

But sensible things to double check are: ...

Great list thanks! I'm not a driver but the rest of the family are and we're in a region where some roads aren't always passable. In other words, my job is to nag and buy provisions.  

On top of all the other good suggestions, it would make sense to get the car serviced if it was due/overdue one.

Eldi_Dos

Seems like OP has went into hibernation early and we haven't even had the pleasures of the bank holiday yet.

casper_gutman

Get the chimney swept. Repaint or touch up any exterior woodwork that looks in need of it.

FreeBear

Gotta keep the seat warm

Phil4432

During and after autumn, make sure gutters are clear of leaves.  Get the boiler serviced now, so its less likely to breakdown in winter. 

Get any roof work done, roof cleaned if needed.

I'm also going to lag the pipes in the attic and garage.  Make sure the water stop taps are working, including the external.