Important Home Maintenance Items
As the weather cools down, you should think about getting your home ready for the long, cold winter ahead. You have probably seen many long checklists of things that homeowners should do to get their home ready, however if you are short on time, let me recommend a few important items that need to be taken care of to give you peace of mind through the winter.
Your furnace is the heart of your home heating system and getting an annual heating tune-up by a qualified professional early in the fall is very important. Some homeowners wonder why a furnace tune-up is recommended. Not only can a tune-up prevent dangerous conditions, it can also save you money on utilities and extend the life of your heating system because it will be running so smoothly and efficiently. There is really nothing worse than waking up freezing cold, in the middle of the night because the furnace has broken down.
It is generally known that when we change our clocks, we should also check our smoke and CO detectors. That means check the date on the detector, as these typically expire after 10 years of usage. If your detector does not have a date, you may want to install new ones so that you have the peace of mind that it will work when you need it to. Also, change the battery in the detectors because if the power goes off in your home, the detector is then powered by the battery.
Another important home maintenance issue is preparing your indoor air for your impending hibernation! Environment Canada reports that indoor air contains 2 to 5 times more toxins than outdoor air. To make matters worse, the average person spends 90 percent of his or her time indoors, making us even more susceptible to health effects from poor indoor air.
The dust and particles from vehicle exhaust, boilers, construction and other activities can find their way into your HVAC system. This can clog air ducts and filters, causing allergies and worsening asthma and other respiratory problems. Scheduling regular furnace and duct maintenance and disinfecting helps to remove these unhealthy pollutants from indoor air.
There are also better solutions than just your typical fibreglass furnace filter. Electronic air filters remove particulates as small as .001 micros from your air, letting you breathe much cleaner air. Another device that really helps improve the air you breathe in your home is a UV light system. This system installs into your ductwork just above your furnace and as the air from your furnace blows past this light, it kills airborne pollutants such as mold, viruses, bacteria and microbials. The filter and the UV light are typically installed together to give the homeowner clean and healthy indoor air all year long.
These important home maintenance suggestions will prepare your home for the winter, giving you peace of mind that you and your family will be warm and healthy while staying indoors this winter.
By Carla Berezowski,
Alberta Indoor Comfort
