Prepping Your Home for Cooler Weather

Anyone who lives in Texas can tell you that winter is the season of unpredictable weather — on Monday temperatures can reach as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit and by Friday they can be back up to the mid-70s. While we may not have to brace ourselves for week-long blizzards like our friends up north, that doesn’t mean we can skip the pre-winter prep entirely.

In Your Home

• Ensure your heating system is working well. Like we said, winter in Texas can be tricky. While we may have a few warm days, we can also have a few cold days in a row. If your heater can’t work for more than a few days at a time, it’s time to have it inspected and possibly replaced.
• Seal any air gaps. Some ventilation is a good thing, but too much is a drain on your energy bill. Ensure the hot air you’re paying for actually stays in your home, where it’s supposed to, by caulking around any doors or windows that lead outside.
• Test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Fires and carbon monoxide poisoning are year-round threats.
• Schedule a boiler tune-up. Cool showers may have been enjoyable in the sweltering summer months, but they probably won’t be as appreciated now. Make sure your boiler is prepared to handle several hot showers a day by scheduling a tune-up or inspection.

Outside Your Home

• Clean out your gutters. Where there’s snow, there’s eventually water. If water can’t make its way through your gutters because of leaves, toys, and branches, it’ll end up pooling on the side of your house and causing water damage.
• Repair your roof. Snow and water can make their way through loose roof shingles and cause major leaks.
• Clean out your chimney. If you have one, that is. Not only will a swept chimney keep Santa’s suit clean, but it’ll prevent chimney fires and the spread of carbon monoxide.

Worried your heater won’t make it through the winter? Give Aire Serv of Fort Worth a call today!