Are you prepared for winter yet? While we know how to deal with leaves, gutters, and putting lawn furniture away, many of us put off annual homeowner maintenance tasks. Here are some friendly reminders.
- Clean your furnace and chimney. If it hasn’t been done in a while, vacuum out your air ducts.
- Inspect and clean your wood-burning fireplace or wood stove.
- Consider reversing your ceiling fan. This will create an updraft forcing warmer air down into the room, providing energy savings.
- Reserve your ceiling fan to create an energy-saving warm air into the room.
- Change the batteries and check the lifespan of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Make sure you have a fire extinguisher.
- Insulate pipes that are susceptible to freezing.
- Drain the pipes that lead to outside faucets.
- Inform your family members where and how to shut off the water supply.
- Don't set your heat lower than 55 degrees.
- If you are going away, make sure someone checks your house and the furnace is still working.
After finishing these tasks, don't forget to enjoy the beautiful snow outside and the upcoming holiday season!