6 Items on Your Fall Checklist: Ensure Your Home’s Air Quality and Heating Efficiency
It’s finally fall, and you know what that means. Pumpkin spice is back on the menu, and harvest decor is back in style. While you are searching for nearby apple orchards, thrifting vintage sweaters, and planning Halloween costumes, don’t forget about your home needs. Your heating system will benefit from some fall preparation too.
Your Fall Checklist
As the temperature starts to cool, preparing for the switch from air conditioning to heating is vital. When this list is complete, you can sleep soundly, knowing the air in your home is free from pollutants, and be confident that your heater is prepared to keep you warm throughout the winter.
Check these items off your fall checklist before the last leaf falls.
1. Change Your Air Filter
You should change your air filters every three to four months, especially if you have pets, carpet, or allergies. Pet hair can quickly accumulate in air filters, and having dirty air filters can worsen your allergies. If you or someone in your household suffers from allergies, consider looking at the different filtration or air purification options, as they can offer different solutions.
2. Check Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Ideally, you should test these safety devices every month, but it is vital in the fall as we spend more time indoors and start running the heating system. We all love autumn-scented candles and using the fireplace once it gets cold, so having a functioning smoke detector is essential.
Check your carbon monoxide detector as the gas is odorless and requires a functioning alarm to alert you when it’s present in the home. If you do not have a carbon monoxide detector, have one installed this fall. According to the CDC, more than 100,000 people go to the hospital every year due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
3. Schedule Your Heating Maintenance
An annual heating maintenance check can lower the chances of various HVAC issues, from clogged condensate lines to gas leaks. A properly maintained system will improve your heater’s efficiency and the air quality in your home. Schedule your heating maintenance check with us today by calling 919-480-2727 or booking with us online. We also have a Comfort Club Maintenance Program, where you get a heating maintenance check during the fall/winter months and a cooling maintenance check in the spring/summer as well as priority scheduling, 15% off repairs, and 15% off IAQ products and accessories.
4. Dust Your Home
This item on your fall checklist may seem like something you associate with spring cleaning but don’t forget that dirt and dust can build up throughout the warmer months, especially if you have pets and/or kids that are constantly in and out of the house. Enjoy the mild temperature and dust your home before you close your windows and doors from the cold. Beat your rugs and throw pillows outside.
5. Check and Regulate Your Home’s Humidity
We have had a humid summer, and it may continue to be humid since this winter is an El Niño winter. Depending on what type of heating system you have, it may increase or decrease the humidity in your home. High humidity can make your home feel stuffy and worsen asthma or other respiratory issues while low humidity can dry out your wood floors and aggravate dry skin and dry eyes.
Talk to your technician about the options available to control humidity throughout your home.
6. Prune Shrubs Surrounding Your Outdoor Air Unit
You may not think about the shrubs around your AC being a problem, but making sure the outside unit of your HVAC system has some space not only allows easier access but also increases the efficiency of your system. Vegetation around your outdoor unit can attract pests to live near, under, or in your outdoor unit, especially as it gets cold in the fall and winter months. Vegetation around your unit can also make it more difficult for your unit to circulate proper airflow.
While we do not rely on our HVAC systems as much in the fall and spring because of the milder temperatures, they continue to ventilate our homes, so we can breathe easy and have fresh, clean air year-round. So start working on your fall checklist today so you can have a smooth transition from the cooling to the heating season.
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