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Winter weather can be hard on your home if you’re not prepared. But by taking care of a few key tasks, you can often avoid expensive damage and prevent premature wear and tear.
Even if you live in a milder climate, you’ll want to review the list below. See which home tune-up tasks you may want to perform now to keep your home clean, safe, and comfortable throughout the coldest, darkest days of the year.
Here are 14 tasks to complete before winter arrives:
- Get professional maintenance for your heating system
- Test your carbon monoxide detectors
- Locate air leaks
- Insulate your home
- Upgrade your windows
- Prepare your pipes
- Install a programmable or smart thermostat
- Insulate your hot water tank
- Reverse the direction your ceiling fan spins
- Have your fireplace and chimney inspected
- Update your emergency supplies for winter storms
- Clean your gutters and downspouts
- Inspect your roof
- Check tree health
1. Get professional maintenance for your heating system
It’s smart to hire a professional to inspect your heating system before the cold weather sets in. They’ll perform routine maintenance that you might not have the time for, like changing air filters, vacuuming registers, and cleaning dirt and debris in and around the unit that could harm its functioning.
They’ll also check for leaks, identify obstructions, lubricate moving parts, look for signs of corrosion, and generally use their expertise to extend your system’s life and minimize the chance of it breaking down on the coldest day of the year.
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2. Test your carbon monoxide detectors
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous odorless gas that can send you to the emergency room or even kill you. You might think you’re coming down with the flu when you’re actually being poisoned by carbon monoxide. If you’re sleeping, you may not experience any symptoms before it’s too late. Pets are susceptible, too.
Heed these warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home, especially near sleeping areas. They’re important year round, but especially in winter. Oil and gas …….
Source: https://www.credible.com/blog/mortgages/home-prep-tasks-before-winter-hits/