It’s official. Winter is coming! We’ve had our first frost. Before you turn on the fireplace and retire for the next few months, there are few preventative items that are worth your attention. Get these done and it’ll be smooth sledding til March! See what we did there?
Download a printable version of this checklist here.
- Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. Code changed a few years ago on smoke alarms. If you can still pop them open and remove the battery on nights when you are trying to be a hibachi chef, please replace them for your safety.
- Service your generator. Most people don’t realize their generator needs servicing until they lose power and the generator does not turn on.
- Clean your gutters. If you can’t get on a ladder yourself, hire someone. Wait until all the leaves are down, then do it once (unless, of course, they’re already overflowing when it rains). So many water-in-the-basement problems are because of clogged gutters.
- Change your HVAC filters. Enjoying these strange warm days and haven’t really needed to turn on your heat? You will soon and the dirt accumulated on the filters could stress critical components of your HVAC system.
- Test your snow blower. Consult your manual for proper annual maintenance. You may need to change the oil and a fresh supply for the winter season.
- Don’t rake your leaves. Instead, just leave them where they fall and run them over with a mulching lawn mower. You’ll be amazed at how one of these powerful machines can turn a pile of leaves into a million little pieces. Plus, they add valuable organic matter to your lawn. Similarly, leave grass clippings on the lawn.
- Hire a chimney sweep. If you haven’t had your chimneys cleaned in a while, it’s probably time.
- Empty and refill a portable gas can with regular gas. See #5.
- Switch ceiling fan direction. When the weather gets cooler, flip your ceiling fans’ reverse switches so that the fans move in a clockwise direction. This creates an updraft that pushes the warm air that rises toward the ceiling back down into the room. Make you save a few bucks!!
If you need a professional to help with any maintenance or repairs to your home, we can refer you to someone that can help! Call us at 201.596.6236
