With cooler weather on the way, now is the time to get your home ready for winter. Check out these helpful tips to prevent damage to your home and infrastructure.
- Check the batteries
- Check the batteries in your home’s smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. If you haven’t already, install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home. It could save your life!
- No leaves in the street
- Leaves will begin to fall soon, but did you know that blowing them into the street is illegal? Leaves can clog sewer drains and cause major runoff issues. Instead, try mulch mowing your yard or bagging up those leaves for weekly yard waste pick-up, which is included FREE with your trash service. Eight compostable bags or bundles will be accepted each week of scheduled collection. 10 compostable bags or bundles will be accepted each week of scheduled collection October through Dec. 11.Learn more about free yard waste pick up.
- Clean out your gutters
- Because of those pesky leaves, your home’s gutters can become clogged. If you see water flowing over the edge of your gutter and not through your downspout, your downspouts are most likely clogged. If gutters are not cleaned, this can cause future damage to your home.
- Prevent frozen pipes
- Disconnect hoses from outdoor faucets and be sure both are fully drained. Wrap pipes close to exterior walls to prevent freezing. Know the location of your home’s water shut-off valve. This could save valuable time in the event a pipe bursts.
- Replace the filter
- With the weather cooling down, fall is a great reminder to replace the filter in your heating system. Filters trap dust and other particles in your home. Clogged filters make it harder to keep your home at a comfortable temperature.