Home Fall Checklist

Fall is here, do you have a checklist of items around the home that need to be accomplished. Here's a few that should be on your list.

Have Your Furnace Serviced

When's the last time you had your furnace looked over by a certified service technician? Bryant's service technicians thoroughly clean and check your furnace. Out technicians are trained to inspect for reliability of your home's heating and cooling equipment. If they find components that are suspect and could affect your furnaces operation in the near future they will bring this to your attention and provide resolutions. They will also bring to your attention items of concern to be thinking about for the future. The goal of our service team is to provide you with information you need to make prepared and informed decisions.

Check Your Thermostat Schedules

A lot can change in a year and your idea of comfortable may be one of them. Going through your your set schedules and temperature setting will make sure you are aware of your settings and they continue to match your daily schedule. In the early fall we often experience days where your system could be cooling during the afternoon and heating when the sun has gone down. This is a perfect fit for your thermostat's auto setting if you allow.

Replace Your Humidifier Filter Pad

It is recommended that you replace your humidifier pad once a year. It's often easiest to remember to do this at the beginning of the heating season when for some models a homeowner will need to adjust the damper. Replacing the filter pad at the beginning of fall will ensure that you have a new clean pad for the season allow with allow you to double check your humidity settings.

Remove Hoses From Outdoor Spigots

As temperatures continue to drop it is important to make sure you have your home's plumbing in mind. Before the temperature get below freezing take the time to make sure hoses are removed for outdoor spigots and stored away for the season. Storing the hose away will reduce the exposure to the coming cold weather and extend the life of the hose. Check your spigots to ensure they are completely shutting off and if there are any drips they are tended to immediately. Drips can turn into a costly oversight because it is rare for homeowners to check outside faucets during the cold months. All that time you could be wasting water just to pay for it when you water bill comes.

If you find repairs are needed during your check it may be worth considering a frost free replacement spigot to provide you piece of might in the cold winter months.

Consider Frost Free Spigots

If you have an older home you may not have frost free outdoor spigots. How does a frost free faucet or spigot work? Essentially it shuts the flow of water off farther back into your home than a non-frost free spigot. Because the water is not allowed near the outdoor walls of your home it is kept warm by your home's conditioned space protecting it from the outside freezing temps.

Clean and Inspect Your Rain Gutters

This may not seem like something a heating and air company would worry about, but your rain gutter can in fact protect your home's heating and cooling system. How? In the past several years the Lincoln area has had some very heavy rain storms, which unfortunately flooded basements. Some home's received enough rain to severely damage electrical components on the furnace requiring major repairs, and in some cases replacement. As the leaves are falling it is important to make sure your home's gutters are clean of debris and inspected for leaks. Clean gutters are important to keep the heavy rain water away from your homes foundation. Take the time to inspect your gutters and reduce the chances of headache in the future.

Increase Your R-Value

Does your home need additional insulation to improve efficiency? Fall is a great time to tackle this project. Now that temperatures are dropping outside the attic space will be much more bearable. Before adding insulation make sure to seal up penetrations into the living space. If you know this is something you will need to do in the future along with replacement of your heating and cooling, we recommend you accomplish your insulation upgrades first so that your HVAC system will be properly sized for your more efficient home.