Ready, Set, Here Comes the Cold!

This has been a record setting summer and we’re creeping up on a big one, the most days over 30 degrees in a summer. Yikes!

home winter prepMaybe we’ll beat it, maybe not, but the colder weather will eventually arrive and memories of the sweltering heat won’t keep you warm. Help keep your home consistently comfortable by preparing for those quick fall cold snaps.

Lock the cold out.

How well insulated are your doors?

Cold will force its way in through any poor seals around the doors in your home even when they’re closed. Take 10 minutes to check the weatherstripping insulating your doors and another 10 minutes to replace any worn or cracked sections.

Weatherstripping creates a tight barrier between warm and cold air, stopping the transfer of heat almost completely. But it has to be in good shape to do so.

Prep the furnace for take off.

The best time to repair or maintain your furnace or heat pump is just before you need it. If you call us the first really cold day of the fall, chances are you’ll be in a long line to get it fixed.

Call us to schedule a one-off maintenance job or sign up for a maintenance plan so your HVAC system always gets the service it needs to keep up with demand.

Having a technician look at your system ensures it’s ready to cope with the swings between wet, dry, hot and cold weather in the fall, and you won’t have to wait for our technicians to visit your home during peak repair season.

A hole-in-one is a bad thing.

winterizing your homeSmall holes around doors and windows mean small air leaks. Heat moves very efficiently from warm to cold environments, so even a small hole is going to be a drain on your comfortable home.

Walk around the house to check for any cracks in the caulking around windows and doors, where dry winter air does a number on perishable materials like caulk.

Equip yourself for melt cycles.

Get the gutters and downspouts cleaned before the first snow falls.

Melting ice and snow need a clear path to escape as the weather fluctuates through the fall and winter. If the melt doesn’t have a place to go before it eventually freezes again, the ensuing ice blockages will warp gutters and damage shingles.

An easy but essential job.

Your furnace is going to work overtime as the weather gets colder. Make sure the flow of air isn’t restricted by a ratty old air filter. An air filter is easy to replace (it’s one of the few furnace jobs homeowners can do themselves).

Drier winter weather produces a lot of dust, so a clean filter today will help you breathe better quality air all winter long.

Fire up the humidifier.

If you have a whole-home humidifier, fall is the perfect time to replace the pad if necessary. That way, you’re ready to fight off nosebleeds, colds, static shocks and damage to your wood furnishings before they start.

An exterior leaking water tap connected to a hose on bricksThere will be ice.

Most homeowners do it without thinking, but a reminder is always good.

It’s smart to disconnect your hoses from outside faucets. If they’re connected during freezing temperatures the ice inside can expand, causing damage to the hoses and pipes. Remember that old apartment you lived in where the basement flooded every winter? Well that was probably because the pipes froze, expanded, and burst, allowing the unfrozen water to flow out and wreak havoc.

Get in touch with us to sort out your HVAC related winter prep before you get stuck in the fall/winter rush!

Contact ClimateCare