5 Fall Home Maintenance Tips

By Steve Bielinski

Summer is over. Fall is here. Winter is right around the corner. Don’t get distracted by the changing colors, it’s time to make sure your home is ready for the cold. Here are some summer-to-winter maintenance tips.

1. FURNACE FILTERS

Change your furnace filters. It’s simple, it’s quick, it’s inexpensive, and it’s easy to forget. Dirty filters mean your heating won’t work the way it should, and can lead to a costly call to the local contractor.

2. FURNACE TUNE UP

Speaking of contractors. Probably the most important thing you can do this season to prepare for the cold is call a licensed HVAC contractor to perform an inspection and tune up on your furnace. Having an expert help detect any current or future issues will save you from finding out your furnace is busted in the middle of January. Plus, preventative maintenance is always less expensive than fixing a broken system.

3. SPIGOTS AND HOSES

Forgetting to winterize your home can cost you a ton of money. Take off all the hoses from your exterior spigots, shut off the water to the outside, and drain the lines. Forgetting to do this can lead to ruptured water lines or damage to the spigot and can be quite costly.

4. AC UNIT

Once the cold weather hits you won’t be needing your AC unit. Disconnecting the power might sound pretty technical, but all you need to do is go to your electrical panel (usually in the basement) and flip the breaker off for the air conditioner. Even when not in use, some AC units still draw power and will create a heat source throughout the winter which attracts small animals, like mice. You might be depriving a rodent of its warm winter getaway, but you’ll be saving yourself the cost of chewed-through wires and other damages.

5. GUTTERS AND DOWNSPOUTS

The leaves are about to start falling in force, so make sure your gutters and downspouts are free of debris that could lead to severe clogs. If autumn rain and winter snowmelt aren’t able to properly drain it will freeze and cause damage to your gutters, downspouts, or even your roof.

Follow these simple steps and your home will be protected from some common winter maladies, and you’ll be able to rest easy until the sun comes back next spring. Check out more seasonal maintenance tips right here on our blog.