When cold weather restricts us from outdoor activities, we should make the best of the time we spend indoors. Besides pursuing your hobbies, here are some maintenance tasks you should do this winter to make your home safer and better prepared for cold temperatures:
- Change the furnace filter. Your furnace runs inefficiently when the filter is filled with the airborne particles it captures, such as dust or pollen. Filters should be changed once a month during the heating season, but consult the manufacturer’s instructions first.
- Check smoke and CO alarms. Test these alarms monthly during winter, when there’s an increased risk of heating equipment fires. Batteries should be changed once a year (preferably in the fall). Replace smoke alarms every 10 years and CO alarms every 5 years, depending on the manufacturer.
- Maintain your humidifier. If you use a humidifier during the dry winter months, you should clean its components frequently. Over time, your humidifier builds up scale due to the minerals in the tap water that will cause bacteria to grow. Consult the owner’s manual to see which components need cleaning and what cleaners to use. Replace filters and wicks periodically.
- Perform a Radon test. Radon is a carcinogenic gas that seeps in through the soil and rocks under your house. The cold season is a good time to test your home for Radon (with a specialized monitoring device) because windows and doors are likely to be closed, trapping in substances such as Radon.
- Reverse your ceiling fans. In the summer, you run your ceiling fans counter-clockwise to move a breeze around and cool the air. When your ceiling fans run clockwise, the warm air will be pushed towards the floor, resulting in an increased temperature in the room. This will potentially allow you to turn down the thermostat by a degree or two.
Preventing water pipes from freezing is another important maintenance task to keep in mind during winter. Check out this article to learn how to prevent pipes from freezing. For professional fire, water or mold restoration services, contact your local PuroClean office.
