Although it’s not cold outside yet, it will be. The last thing you want to do is wait till it’s cold outside to find out if your heating system is operating properly or not. The most important thing we can suggest is to have a certified HVAC technician tuneup your heating system. He will do the obvious things such as change your air filter and more importantly, he’ll be checking your system for any kind of safety issues. During these checks the technician measures volts and amps on the components within your heating system. By doing this, he can see if something is starting to go bad, which could prevent much larger (more expensive) issues later. By having your system maintained properly you are also helping to keep your operating costs down.

The next thing we suggest going into the cold season is to invest in a generator. In the event that we have bad winter weather with possible power outages, you want to make sure you can still run a space heater and cook warm meals. Make sure you keep heavy blankets and candles in an easily accessible location for emergency use.

Since  the cost of natural gas keeps rising, the Department of Energy recommends R-49 insulation which is about 17″ of blown in insulation. This is a huge jump from just a few years ago when the rating was R-38. Add more insulation to your attic.

Lastly, we recommend you create a fire escape plan. There are quite a few appliances that cause fire hazards during the cold months. Hope for the best, take proper precautions and prepare for the worst. Invest in fire escape ladders for bedrooms.

Is your home ready for the cooler months? We want to make sure you stay comfortable all season long. The first step in having a warm home is proper preparation. Follow the guide below to make sure your household stays efficient this season.

Check your gutters and downspouts. Are they clear? If not, be sure to clean them out. The last thing you want this winter is for all those leaves to stop water in your gutters and cause them to be heavy enough to detach from your home.

Light an incense stick and walk around your home. Trace the doors and windows with the smoke. If you see the smoke being pulled or pushed one way or another, chances are you’ve located a hole. You can seal these issues with caulk or weatherstripping.

Inspect your roof with binoculars from the ground or by physically getting on top of your roof if you have the ability. If you see any issues, call Trademark Contractors. They will send someone out who will work with your homeowner’s insurance company to get these repairs taken care of. You want to make sure to do this before the winter. Ice is heavy and could easily devastate a damaged roof.

Make sure to winterize all outdoor water supplies including sprinkler systems. Water expands when it freezes and if there is enough water in your pipes, they could burst. If found this post because you have frozen water pipes, check out how to thaw them outhere.

As usual, make sure you change the air filter. Of course we know you’re already doing that monthly. In addition to that, you should have your fall maintenance done on your heating system. The technician will check your system for issues such as safety hazards. This is especially important if you have a gas heating system.

While you’re scheduling services, you should also give a chimney sweep a call if you use your fireplace often. If you are a fireplace lover, chances are you will have plenty of firewood in the coming months. Make sure to store this at least a foot off the ground to help reduce the risk of pest infestation. Also keep the firewood stored at least 10 feet away from your home. In the event that the firewood does get a pest infestation, at least it won’t be leaning up against your home.

Check the batteries in your carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors. Replace if necessary. This is the most important time of year to ensure both of those devices are in proper operation.

Like spring cleaning, go ahead and do a fall cleaning. Be sure to spray all handles with disinfectant spray. Continue to do that weekly to help reduce the risk of the flu sweeping through your home.

Come up with a fire escape plan with your family. It might seem corny but it could save the lives of your loved ones. Like they say, “it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Make sure everyone in your household understands how to get out of their room specifically. If you have pets you should come up with a plan for them too. Perhaps specific animals could sleep in a certain family members room and that family member be responsible for getting the fur baby out safely too.

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Can you imagine living in one of the hotter states such as Florida, Texas or Nevada without air conditioning?! It would be unbelievably hot and uncomfortable. Given the statistics, I can’t help but think that those cities have air conditioning to thank for their larger populations. By the 1950's, one out of every 22 American homes had air conditioning. If you only focus on the southern part of the US, about one in every 10 homes had air conditioning.

Considering that air conditioning became more readily available and desired in the 1950’s, I can’t help but wonder if the large cities in the south would be as they are had air conditioning not been involved? American’s have become accustom to having air conditioning. There are larger cities than those in the US all around the globe. Take Yangon, Myanmar for example. They have an approximate population of 5.21 million (2014). The city has much to offer. They have pagoda festivals, the Shwedagon Pagoda Festival in March, beautiful architecture, many museums, tea shops, an active nightlife and I’m sure there’s plenty more I’m missing. The point is, they have a very populated, busy city and still thrive without air conditioning everywhere. Their world is much different than ours. When you walk into any building in the US, you expect it to be comfortably cool when you walk in during the hot months. This is not what people in Yangon expect. If roles were reversed….would the American people be able to function in their daily lives; both at work and at home? I believe we’d live much differently without air conditioning.