Preparing Your Home for Fall

Fall is a magical time of year!  The weather has cooled, leaves are falling, and even the humidity has calmed down.  Although we are in the beginning of this beautiful season, it is time to turn our attention toward preparing our homes for the much cooler weather that could be coming our way. In North Louisiana you never really know what type of weather we will get and if we have another winter like last year, we are in for a rough ride!

Instead of waiting for the mercury to dip, ease your mind by getting ahead of the coming temperature changes. Listed below are some tips on how to prepare your home for fall.

Clean Rain Gutters

Your gutters have likely accumulated a decent amount of muck over the summer.  If left there, clogs in the gutters are inevitable.  Clogged gutters can form water dams that prevent drainage.  This can lead to water finding its way into your home which can cause a multitude of dreadful issues and unexpected expenses.

Take time to clean the gutters and save yourself the trouble of repairing a leak or fixing water damage.  Make sure that your gutters are properly aligned.  If misaligned, that too can lead to water damage.   Also, consider adding screens to your gutters to prevent clogs from the falling leaves.

Clean Your Chimney

If you have a wood-burning fireplace and you didn’t have it cleaned after last year’s use, now is the time to make sure that your chimney is free of soot build up.  Hiring a trusted professional who has the correct tools and know how is the way to go.

Seal Your Home

It is vital to ensure that there are no air leaks in your home.  Warm air will escape out of any cracks or broken seals and can make your heating system work overtime which leads to higher utility costs.  Weatherstripping and caulk around windows and doors are part of what keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer as it eliminates outside air from infiltrating your home.  Check doors, windows, and under sink cabinets for drafts as these are usually suspect areas.  Repair and seal these problematic areas as needed.

Schedule Your Furnace Maintenance

Here in the Shreveport/Bossier City area, you haven’t needed to heat your home for many, many months.  Now is the time, your furnace needs to be checked out and tuned up before it gets cold and you really to heat your home.

Advanced AC & Heating performs regular scheduled maintenance and tune-ups to make sure your furnace is in optimal working condition, therefore safe to use.

If you haven’t changed your air filters, do it now.  These filters trap dust that would otherwise be deposited on the surfaces of your home.  Clogged filters make it harder to maintain a comfortable temperature and can increase your utility bills.  Cleaning or replacing air filters is critical to your HVAC system working properly.

Test Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Now is a good time to make sure these important items are in proper working order.  Replace old batteries and perform regular tests so you know they will work and keep you and your loved ones safe through the fall and winter months.

Adjust Sprinkler System Settings

As it gets colder and wetter, you won’t need to water your lawn nearly as much as in the summer.  Consider decreasing the sprinkler time and number of days you water per week as the weather cools.  After all, there is no point in watering your grass if it is covered by leaves and the water can’t even reach the soil.

Fertilize Your Lawn

One of the best ways to keep grass vibrant on the surface and healthy down into the roots is to use a good fertilizer.  And now is the best and most important time to fertilize your lawn!

After the stressful summer heat, fall’s cooler temperatures provide the perfect setting for a lawn to regain strength. What are you waiting for?  Get to fertilizing!

Use An Air Purifier

As it gets colder, you won’t be opening your windows and doors as often which cuts down on the ventilation in your home.  Using a good air purifier can stimulate ventilation and trap particles and harmful pollutants in your home.  It is a great investment to improve the air quality inside of your home.

Having a home is a blessing, but this blessing can become a big headache if we neglect it.  Some of these tips make you comfortable, some keep you safe and some even help the earth.  We hope that after performing these few tips on how to prepare your home for the fall, problematic issues can be avoided, and you can enjoy this time of year knowing that you have taken care of the place that you call home.

We here at Advanced AC & Heating want to be your HVAC company for every season.  Call us today and see what we can do for you! 318-222-KOOL