Fall Home Energy Saving and Maintenance Tips

Chances are good that vacations abounded this year and your home did not get the love it normally receives.  This is a great time of the year to prepare your home for the fall and winter elements before the holiday season takes hold of our time and energy.  Many of these will ensure your family’s safety or save money on your utility bills!

Indoors

• Replace your AC filters.  Prior to running your heating system, have it checked by a licensed
  
  air conditioning and heating contractor.
• Have a licensed contractor check to make sure your home is properly insulated, especially in the attic where plenty of the house’s heat can escape.  Insulation protects your home from heat loss in colder months and from loss of cool air in the warmer months.
• Check that smoke detectors are working properly and run through a fire safety evacuation plan with your family. If you are unsure of how to test your smoke detectors, you can hire a licensed electrician to perform this inspection.
• Reverse the direction of your ceiling fans to push warm air back into your living space.
• Seal doors and windows with caulking and/or weather-stripping.  These products are readily available at any hardware store and are an easy DIY project.
• Test for dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, especially if you have a gas furnace or appliances.  You can buy a testing kit online or hire a licensed electrician or AC contractor to run the testing.

Outdoors

• Clean all dust and debris from your rain gutters by flushing them out with water.  Repair or
  
  replace any damaged parts of the gutters and consider installing replacements with leaf-guards. 
• Painting the exterior of your home adds a lot of curb appeal and is a great DIY project for the fall.  Get the whole family involved!
• Plant winter rye grass if you want a green lawn in the fall and winter in Arizona.  It’s worth noting that you may want to forego winter grass to reduce lawn maintenance and water consumption.  These are more reasons to consider for not planting a winter lawn. http://www.mesaaz.gov/conservation/nooverseed.aspx
•  Repair cracks and damage to sidewalks and driveways.
• Check your exterior lighting is working properly.  If you don’t have motion sensor exterior lighting, consider investing in it for safety and energy savings.
•  If you have a fireplace, have it inspected before using it since it’s been out of commission for several months.
• Inspect your home’s exterior and attic to make sure that no unwanted insects or pests to getting into your home or destroying any parts of the house.

Contract ELA Home Repairs at 800-368-PROS for all your home repair needs.