6 Tips for Getting Your Home Ready for Fall
As we see the signs that cooler weather is coming, it’s a great idea to start getting your home ready for the changing season. To help you in your transition, here is a list of seven things homeowners can do to get their homes ready for fall.
1. Get Your Furnace Ready
There are a number of things you can do yourself to get your furnace ready for fall. For starters, it’s important to check the filter. With the furnace still off, pull the filter out of the unit and hold it up to the light. If you can see through it, the filter is still good. If not, it"s time to replace. Check out the surrounding area. Make sure you don’t have anything leaning up against the furnace so the unit can get air for combustion. Don’t restrict airflow. Also, check the pipe from the attic. Don’t restrict airflow from the combustion conduit from the attic with blankets or rags or anything. Before you kick the furnace on for the fall and winter, now might be a great time to get it serviced. Manufacturers recommend you have an HVAC professional perform maintenance on your equipment annually, to be sure everything is working properly, safely, and efficiently before it begins the hard work of heating your home all winter. Cite the owner’s manual: http://homeappliance.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/carrier/carrier_furnace_product_list.html?p=2) (Cite this as a safety hazard. Make sure the vent coming off the furnace is intact so the gas exhausting out of your unit isn’t leaking into the home)
2. Reprogram the Thermostat
Switch the thermostat to heat.
3. Test Detectors
Because October 8-14th is Fire Prevention Week, it’s a good reminder to make sure that all of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order. Because most home fire deaths occur because of absent or non-working smoke alarms, it’s important to make sure yours are functioning and properly installed. Manufacturers recommend that smoke detectors should be replaced every ten years; so, if your detectors are getting old, it might be time to switch them out for some new ones. Watch this video on how to replace smoke detectors yourself so you can be sure to keep your home safe. Click here to watch.
4. Clean and Kick on Humidifiers
If you have a humidifier connected to your furnace, it has likely been sitting unused all spring and summer. Before you turn it on, make sure that the humidifier is clean so you can reduce the risk of spreading molds, fungi, or other pathogens through the air. Using a vinegar-water mixture to clean out the inside is inexpensive and works quite well. Be sure to also replace old filters (pads? Check what they’re called. Hard water and calcium buildup can prevent the water from percolating through. Check the front and back side for buildup. If you’re not sure what to set your humidifier to, start at 50% and go from there.) so you’re starting fresh. (Also check the drain coming off the humidifier. It drains on the same line as the A/C so if it gets gummed up, it could cause a flood.)
5. Turn off Outside Spigots and Store Hoses
To prevent frozen lines and spigots in the winter, make sure that your hoses are disconnected, drained, and stored for winter and that your spigots are turned off. You might even cover spigots with cases that will help protect them from freezing. (Go to Home Depot and find out what these cases are called.) A broken line could lead to leaking and flooding, so it’s best to drain any outdoor lines to prevent problems in the future, including your sprinkler lines. (Explain that if you have an unfinished basement or an exterior wall, these are more prone to freezing. Make sure to insulate any pipes that are exposed or up against an exterior wall…
6. Test Your Generator
If you have a generator, fire it up and make sure it’s in good working order for the winter. Nothing would be worse than thinking you have a backup power supply, only to discover that it isn’t working. Best to check your equipment before an emergency strikes for your peace of mind.
If you need help, find a plumber, HVAC pro or a trusted professional to help you. Source: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/30-smart-tips-to-get-your-home-ready-for-fall.html
Sep 2nd 2017
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