WARM AND COZY

Any handyman will tell you that maintenance and upkeep is important for the safety of your investment in your house. They will also tell you that it is important for the safety of your family. The winter offers more of challenge in maintenance and safety issues that your handyman can help you with.

By now Old Man Winter has come to visit most of us, and we are all prepared for his stay, right? Okay, don’t answer that. Let’s take a look and see how prepared you are. The first place to start is your heat system.

If you have not given your furnace a fall tune up, it’s not too late. Changing the filter is a good place to start. If you change your filter monthly, you will save money on maintenance, not to mention you will have healthier air in your house. If your heating and cooling system share common duct work, you may have dampers that need to be adjusted for seasonal changes. If you are not sure if you have them or not, or maybe you are not sure how they need to be adjusted, ask your service tech to show you were they are. Mark the settings (winter) and (summer) so that you can make the correct seasonal changes. Learn about your heating system and what type of maintenance you and/or your service tech need to perform on it. This will save you money and inconvenience.

It is wise to have your heating system serviced every fall, and your cooling system serviced every spring. But, during heating months, it may be necessary to call your service tech if you experience any of these flowing symptoms:

Chronic headaches or flu-like symptoms
If your forced air system makes rumbling or strange noises
If you notice your furnace coming on for only a short period of time before shutting off, then coming back on several times to reach the set temperature (short cycling)

Take care of your heating system and it will keep you warm and cozy.


There are countless ways you can save energy, which also means you save money. Here are some winter tips that can help do just that:

Caulk around windows and doors.
Check for air leaks around doors (both sides and bottom). It may be necessary to replace weather-stripping or bottom door sweeps.
Seal leaks in seams of any exposed duct work.
Keep the dampers closed on wood-burning fireplaces when they are not in use.
Set your thermostat down to around 62 degrees at night or when you are gone for the day.
Open the curtains and let the sun warm the exposed rooms.
Insulate any exposed hot water pipes from the hot-water-tank.
Repair dripping faucets (hot water leaks cost you).


Remember that regular and seasonal maintenance of your house will save you money and protect your investment. Deferred maintenance is your home's worst enemy.