| WINTER MAINTENANCE TIPS |
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- As cold weather approaches you can take a few key steps to ensure your home serves you well through the coming months. Please take time to check these items in and around your home and attend to any that need maintenance.
- Clean and test smoke alarms. Detectors should be tested monthly. Remember to change your batteries in all smoke detectors when you adjust your clocks for daylight savings time (twice a year).
- Test and reset ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI) breakers, which are located in an electrical outlet in your kitchen, bathroom and garage.
- Change the air filters in cold air returns. (For best results and long system life; change monthly).
- Operate the heating system.
- Adjust registers and confirm that cold air returns are clear of furniture or draperies.
- Adjust or replace weather stripping on exterior doors as needed. Also, check the fit of your exterior doors; thresholds are adjustable.
- Check caulking, inside & out, and touch up if necessary. Key areas
are kitchen and bath countertops, tubs, showers, and exterior
doors and windows.
- Reverse direction on ceiling fan motors, to pull warm air down from ceiling spaces.
- Check garage for flammable items and make sure they are stored properly.
- Remove hoses from exterior faucets. “Freeze proof” faucets will suffer a broken water line if the water in the hose freezes and expands into the pipe.
- Review safe fireplace operation.
- Clean gutters, check downspouts; confirm that splashblocks drain away from the house.
- After snowfall, brush snow off gutters and away from downspouts.
- Remove ice and snow from concrete as soon as possible; avoid using de-icing agents with damaging salts.
- On pleasant days, open windows to allow house to breathe.
- Decorate safely for the holidays. Do not overload circuits or use worn extension cords.
- Review emergency escape plan, and make sure all family members understand.
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