4 Steps to Prepare your Home for the Cold Weather

4 Steps to Prepare Your Home for the Cold

Whether we want to believe it or not, the cold is coming. The sweltering days of summer and air conditioning are falling quickly behind us as September comes to a close and the cooler temperatures of the Fall and Winter quickly approach. As a homeowner, it’s important not to be caught off guard when the cold does come. Be ready and be prepared, and make sure the furnace of your home is running in tip top condition. There’s no reason you have to handle this preparation all by yourself. Hire a professional to complete any appliance service in Ocean County NJ for you. Here are some steps both you and a professional can be a part of in preparing your furnace:

Take out Window Screens

On some summer nights, all you may have needed was to open your window and feel the cool breeze through your window screen. Unfortunately keeping that window screen for the months of the winter will only allow cold air to more easily permeate your home. Instead of having two panes of window to get through, the air has only one when a window screen is in place. So as October approaches, take out your window screens and replace them with storm windows as a measure to better insulate your home.

Switch the Thermostat

Soon, there will no longer be a need for air conditioning, and so the big switch can now be made on your home thermostat. All you need to do is switch the temperature over from cooling to heating. Even the most simple steps like this one can be forgotten. But that’s ok, that’s why professionals are here to help. Scheduling an appliance service in Ocean County prior to winter will take care of these smaller, but necessary steps.

Inspect your Chimney and Furnace Burners

A lot of dust, debris, and dirt can accumulate since the last time you’ve used your furnace and closed up your home for winter. To enable the heat to work to its top potential, it’s important to clean all airways prior to the use of your furnace. One major airway that needs to be checked is your chimney. Your furnace burners also need to be inspected for dirt and debris. It can be a challenge to check your chimney for birds’ nests or built-up soot, so when a professional comes to service your furnace, ask them to also check out your chimney for you. And when inspecting your furnace burners, it’s important to check for rust as well.

Change your Air Filter

Along the same lines as the chimney and furnace burner inspection, is the step of changing your air filter. The air filter in your furnace has a very important job of cleaning the air emitted prior to emission. However if the air filter is old and clogged, it will fail to do its job of filtering and will prevent hot air from getting through and warming your home. Luckily it’s an easy fix if you know the right place to look. Air filters should be replaced periodically. Again, if you don’t want to go hunting around in your furnace for the air filter, have a professional take care of this step for you. Or maybe even have him show you exactly where the air filter is, so that next fall you can do this step all on your own!

These are just a few of the steps that can help prepare your home for the cold. Don’t hesitate to call a professional for insulation advice as well. It’s wise to have your furnace serviced annually before the cold, so that it can receive a professional cleaning. The technician will also ensure the motor and other parts are in working and ready order. Contact us today at Jersey Coast Appliance for any appliance service you may need in Ocean County NJ.