20.11.2012
Home Maintenance – Fall and Winter
Protect your home investment and keep things safe by following regular maintenance practices. Many home maintenance activities are seasonal and can be divided into spring, summer, fall and winter. This article deals with the fall and winter seasons. Regular and systematic maintenance can prevent costly problems from developing or becoming worse. If you have questions that you want to bring to someone else for an opinion, for example, your local hardware store dealer, take a photo with your cell phone to help the explanation. If a particular task seems too difficult or something that you don’t want to do, for example getting up on a roof, get quotes from professionals. Whenever doing maintenance work around your house, be careful and use protective equipment such as rubber gloves, particle masks, etc. to make the job safe.
Fall: This is the time to get your home ready for the coming winter so that you can enjoy the indoor comfort of your home.
- Get your furnace and ducting system serviced by a qualified technician every two years for a gas furnace. In off years turn off the furnace, and check the furnace fan belt for wear.
- If you have air conditioning, drain and clean the drain pan under the cooling coil.
- Get your chimney cleaned every two years if you use it on a moderate basis. In off years, check from below for obstructions or hire a service technician to do an inspection.
- Unplug and vacuum electrical base board heaters to remove dust.
- Remove cold and hot air vent covers and vacuum inside the ducts.
- Clean permanent furnace filters or exchange replacement filters monthly.
- If you have a humidifier, clean it (vinegar works good) and change the evaporate pad.
- Check smoke, carbon monoxide, and security alarms, and replace batteries if applicable and necessary.
- Check bathroom exhaust and range hood fans. If possible, confirm airflow by leaving the fans turned on, and checking how much air flow is coming through the vents as the ducting comes outside.
- Make sure that windows and door are closely tightly. Replace or add weather stripping as necessary. Replace window screens with storm windows.
- Clean leaves from eaves troughs and make sure that water from downspouts can flow unimpeded away from your home. Follow safe work practices.
- Drain and store outdoor waterlines. Turn off water valves to outside and drain exterior water valves.
Winter: These are the months when you want your maintenance routine to find problems early so that you can take corrective action as soon as possible.
- Clean permanent furnace filters or exchange replacement filters monthly.
- Drain a liter of water from the clean out vale at the bottom of your hot water tank to control sediment and to maintain efficiency.
- Clean humidifier and exchange the humidifier pad 2 or 3 times in the winter season as it operates more with the furnace and heating system running more.
- Vacuum and wipe bathroom grille and radiator grilles on back of refrigerators and freezers. Clean the drip trays.
- Check and clean off fire and smoke, and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Check and clean off fire extinguishers.
- Check outside lighting and door and window locks and review security and emergency procedures with all household members.
- Check and repair leaky faucets.
- Check basement floor drain to make sure it is clear, and top up trap with water if necessary
If you have any questions about your home air heating system, call 403-291-1051 and speak to one of our Furnace Cleaning Specialists
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