Five Home Tips To Tackle This October
October is here. Football is in full swing. Pumpkins are out on doorsteps. Outside temperatures begin to drop and as indoor temperatures begin to rise. This is the favorite time of year for many. Most importantly, it is time to make sure that your home is ready for the coming winter months by taking care of necessary home maintenance. With the following list, your home will be in perfect shape for the cooler months ahead.
1. Inspect and maintain your heating system.
Have your heating system checked by a licensed heating contractor to be sure that the system is clean and running smoothly before the winter months come. Clean your furnace and filters regularly. When your HVAC system is properly serviced, heating systems will use fuel more efficiently, last longer and have fewer problems.
2. Clean your gutters
Clogged and leaking gutters and downspouts can overflow and cause water damage to your home, so it’s important clean and check them for leaks regularly. Leaves and other debris that clog your rain gutters can cause leaks and other problems, including the creation of ice dams during the winter. After the leaves have fallen, clean out the gutters, inspect joints, and tighten brackets if necessary. Replace old or damaged gutters with new ones that have built-in leaf guards.
3. Shut off outdoor faucets and sprinkler systems.
You won’t be watering your lawn this time of year. Make sure to shut off all exterior faucets, and winterize your sprinkler systems before the first freeze. Freezing temperatures can cause damage to hoses, pipes and your sprinkler system if not properly stored and prepared for winter. Once you turn off the faucets, drain all hoses and store them inside your home or garage.
4. Check safety devices.
This step may seem so obvious that it’s easy to skip, but according to the NFPA, nearly half of home fires that fail to trigger alarms occur in homes where batteries have expired or been removed from a smoke alarm. Take some time to test and check your carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors to make sure that they are in working order.
5. Inspect and clean your fireplaces and chimneys.
One of the most important things you can do to keep your fireplace or stove in peak condition is to have it inspected and cleaned annually. With winter, there are a lot of weather possibilities that may occur. Whether you run out of heating oil (which we obviously don’t recommend) or the power goes out, you may need to use your fireplace to keep warm. Make sure your fireplaces are in working order. Have your chimneys cleaned by a licensed chimney sweep.
Properly maintaining your home this fall ensures safety and prevents simple upkeep from turning into costly repairs this winter. If you have questions related to your HVAC systems or ordering heating oil, please contact PayLessForOil.com today!
