Pretty soon, the freezing Michigan winter will be upon us, and now is the perfect time to ensure that your household is prepared. When the cold season arrives, the harsh weather can impact your home in a variety of ways. If you’re not careful, you can end up dealing with lots of discomfort, frustration, and unplanned expenses. However, if you’re proactive, there’s no reason you can’t keep your home in great condition and functioning smoothly all winter long. Here, we’ll cover a few measures you should take in advance to give yourself the best shot at enjoying a pleasant and comfortable winter season!
If your home isn’t properly insulated or its insulation is old and deteriorating, now is an excellent time to change that. As the temperature outside drops, having reliable insulation installed can have several benefits. For one, it will keep you and your family warm and cozy by keeping heat trapped inside. It will also allow your heating system to operate more efficiently, as it won’t need to compensate for nearly as much lost warmth. It’s a great idea to ensure that your attic, basement, windows, and siding are properly insulated.
It’s also a great idea to insulate any exposed pipes in your home before winter arrives. Otherwise, those pipes could become frozen when the weather gets cold, and that can cause them to burst. By taking the time to insulate them now, you can potentially prevent flooding in your home and save yourself some serious money on plumbing repairs.
Now that the weather is getting colder, there’s little doubt that you’ll have the heater running more frequently. But if your furnace isn’t prepared for the uptick in usage, it may become overworked. If that happens, its energy efficiency will decline, and the risk of mechanical failure will rise. One of the best ways to ensure that your heating system is ready for the winter is to schedule professional maintenance.
When you schedule a furnace tune-up with our team at Flo-Aire, our technicians will take measures to get your heater running like brand-new. For one, we’ll clean the dust, dirt, and debris out of the appliance, which will allow it to circulate air more smoothly and efficiently. We’ll also give the system a thorough inspection, ensuring that its components are all in good condition and working properly. If you get this service taken care of now, it will have positive effects on your comfort, finances, and peace of mind throughout the winter.
Ideally, checking and cleaning your gutters should be a regular part of your home upkeep routine. However, even if you’ve neglected the chore in the past, now is a great time to clean the gutters in preparation for the winter. If your gutters are packed with leaves, dirt, and random debris when the freezing weather shows up, it can cause a variety of serious problems for your household. For one, the gutters will quickly become clogged, which will cause moisture to build up. That can lead to mold growth as well as water leaking through your walls. There’s also the potential for that backed-up water to freeze, which can create icicles and dangerous ice dams. Fortunately, you can avoid all these issues by cleaning your gutters now and checking them periodically over the next few months.
If you have a gas-burning furnace in your household, it’s extremely important to test your carbon monoxide detectors before the winter. When your heating system burns fuel, one of the byproducts of the process is carbon monoxide, which is extremely dangerous to breathe. If the appliance malfunctions or a part becomes damaged, it can potentially result in that invisible, odorless gas being released into your home. When that happens, having working carbon monoxide detectors can make a massive difference in the safety of you and your family.
Before you start using your furnace more often, take the time to run tests on all your carbon monoxide detectors. While you’re at it, it’s a good idea to test all of your smoke detectors as well. If any of the devices need to be replaced or require new batteries, take care of it right away. You never know when one of those detectors may end up saving your life!
Although you surely use hot water all year long, there’s a good chance you’ll be relying on it more regularly during winter. After all, taking a hot shower or warm bath is quite a bit more pleasant when it’s cold outside. So, it’s prudent to ensure that your water heater can be as effective and efficient as possible throughout the chilliest time of year. If you have a standard water heater, then one of the best ways to achieve this is by flushing the tank. Over time, sediment tends to accumulate at the bottom of the tank. After a while, that can start to affect the appliance’s performance and lead to wasted electricity. However, if you flush the drain valve, it will clear the sediment out of the tank and improve the water heater’s overall performance.
Having the fireplace burning can help make your home feel nice and cozy when it’s freezing outside. However, if your chimney hasn’t been serviced in a while, it can become a significant fire hazard. Before you start using the fireplace again this winter, you should ensure that it’s completely safe by having the chimney cleaned and inspected by professionals. That way, you’ll be able to get a fire going whenever you want with total peace of mind.
If you’re in the greater Downriver area, you can always contact Flo-Aire Heating, Cooling & Electrical for your heating needs. If you require furnace maintenance or would like more information about preparing your home for the winter, we’re here to help however we can. Simply give our offices a call today at (734) 285-1809 to our knowledgeable staff.
Locally owned and operated in Southgate, MI since 1955, Flo-Aire Heating, Cooling & Electrical is one of the top heating & cooling companies in Southeast Michigan. Flo-Aire provides residential, commercial and industrial HVAC services throughout all of Metro Detroit.
