Fall Maintenance for your Home

Just like your car needs maintenance to keep it running, your HVAC system also needs it. Regular HVAC maintenance will reduce energy usage, improve equipment performance, prevent breakdowns and extend equipment life.

I cannot tell you how important it is to get your furnace inspected every year. Here are check points to look for when selecting a company:
• Are they listed with the Better Business Bureau
• Do they replace your filter (Most companies will include this, but there could be an extra charge if you have a large filter. Make sure you let them know the size of your filter.)
• Do they clean your heat exchanger
• Do they check the thermostat reading against what is blowing out of your vents
• Will they make repairs or improvements without your authority
• Is there an extra charge if you have a humidifier
• How important is it that I have a Carbon Monoxide Detector

These are just some of the questions you can ask. When you call a reputable company, they will have no problem explaining what they do, and they will and should stand behind their service.

Just as important is your chimney. Rule of thumb is to always have your chimney checked and cleaned after burning a cord of wood. How do I know what a cord of wood is? A cord measures 4x4x8 feet.

When do I drain my sprinklers? You should always try and get those drained before the first hard frost hits. You can also check to make sure you know which sprinklers need maintenance so those can be repaired before the next season.

What about all my garden hoses? Make sure you drain all of them and coil them up and most importantly, unscrew them from the faucets they are attached too.

While you are in the garage, look at your mower and see if it needs any maintenance done. This would be the time to take it in and have those blades sharpened or oil changed. No rush to get it back, but hopefully you will have it by the time for the first spring mow.

And before the snow blows, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to make sure you have all of your snow shovels ready, along with ice melt and ice scrapers in all the vehicles. What about that snow blower, make sure that is running smoothly before that first snow hits.

Sometimes you think, I don’t have time for all of this, but in the long run, the little bit of time you spend preparing saves you stress when you actually are in the moment of all of it.

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