Fall is quickly approaching which means that Winter is not that far behind. After the insane freezing temperatures that we had in Texas last year it’s probably a good idea to get prepared as soon as possible. If you follow these steps it could help you lower your utility bills and protect your home from the elements. Here are a few things you should do before the chill of Winter hits you.
Service Your Heater & Air Conditioning System
Most people don’t think about this until that first cold night in Texas. You walk over to the heater to turn it on and a smelly burning dust ball comes out of your vents causing your smoke detectors to freak out for a while.
While most home HVAC systems last 10-20 years, some go out faster than others. Most of the time this is due to poor yearly maintenance. By calling a professional HVAC service you can have everything look over before any kind of catastrophic part gets broken. This way you’ll have running Heat and AC through the harshest of months and seasons.
Don’t let record low temps surprise you again this year. Getting your HVAC system serviced is a cheap way to stay warm all winter.
Caulk windows and cracks
You may not realize this but there is air sneaking into your home from the most smallest of places. I’m talking about the cracks in your windows and the spaces around them.
The wood trim around your doors and windows is typically not treated to resist rotting. If there are any areas of missing paint it could start to rot and then all the caulking around it could dry out and crack as well. Before any of this damage starts to happen, take sometime to walk around the outside of your house and make sure none of the paint is peeling and that all the caulk is still in good condition.
If any of this looks bad then a bit of paint and caulk will do the job to fix it. If you need help then just call Hank’s and we’ll take care of it for you!
Reverse fan direction
It’s not something most people think about but your fan can actually reverse in direction. When it comes time to kick the heat on to stay warm, just revers the direction of your fan. Most ceiling fans will had a switch somewhere on the side. The fan will then produce an updraft pushing the cold air up and bringing that toasty warm air down to your level.
Clean your gutters
After the cool of the fall has made its way through Texas you might want to think about cleaning your gutters. All those leaves and branches from the trees will have clogged them up. You need to make sure they are good and clean so when the winter rains come the water will properly flow off of your roof. It will also look so much better and keep your home looking fresh up there!
Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Most house fires happen during the cold winter months when your heater is on full blast or you a fire burning in the Fireplace. This can sometimes lead to more carbon monoxide building up in your home, especially if you have a gas furnace instead of electric.
Check all your smoke detectors batteries to make sure they are fully operational through the season. If you have carbon monoxide detector be sure to check and test those as well. If you don’t have any, consider getting a couple to put around the house.
As a bonus idea, grab a generator as a backup power source in case the Texas grid goes out again for several days this winter. We hope these tips will help you stay warm this winter and keep your family safe from the elements.
If you need help with any of the things on this list, just give Hank’s a call at 972-362-4330.
