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With fall is approaching (Monday, Sept. 23), homeowners need to prepare their homes and equipment for the change in the season and for winter.
Procrastination is easy, but so is fall preparedness if you take the steps now. Equipment needs maintained to assure longevity and avoid malfunction.
Following is a small checklist to help maintain, clean and prepare for the change in seasons.
Fuel stabilizer can be put in all your summer equipment such as lawn mowers, weed eaters and edgers. This will keep fuel fresh for up to four months during storage, eliminate the need to drain fuel prior to storage, and will ensure quick and easy starts after storage. Gum and varnish build-up will be prevented and is effective in all gasoline (including Ethanol blends, for all gasoline engines and 2-cycle).
Heating System
Maintain your heating system by changing your air filter monthly.
Brendan Over, from Hostetler's Refrigeration, New Enterprise, recommends replacing the nozzle and filter on oil boilers yearly. Over also suggest getting the system cleaned and inspected by a professional every two years for a furnace and once a year for a boiler.
Also, turn your heater on in the fall to assure it is working correctly. Over also recommends checking flu pipe where there may be a thin spot, holes, or joints that may not be connected. This will prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Importance of Tools
Tracy Williams, a manager at Long's Outpost, Martinsburg, explained the importance of having quality tools.
"In almost every case, the more expensive tool will be your better-quality tool," she said. "There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a project and the tool breaks or isn't the right tool for the job. More time is wasted on finding tools and materials than the actual project itself."
Williams said she sees many people making more trips to the hardware store with this problem.
Williams also reminds people about sealing their roofs, especially if their home is a trailer. Fall is the best time to insulate plumbing inside and out. Heat tape and pipe insulation will prevent frozen disasters that Williams sees daily in the winter. Foam insulation is used in cracks and crevices to prevent cold air from seeping inside.
Fire Prevention Month
October is Fire Prevention Month. Test carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Test your detectors monthly and upon installation. Replace the entire unit every 10 years and change the batteries at least once a year.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home (including the basement) and installed inside and outside of every bedroom.
The Farmers' Almanac is predicting that the Winter of 2019-20 will be one of the worst we've seen in many years.
Now is the time to prepare and put your plan in action. Make sure your generator is accessible, working and functional. Stock up on all supplies. Assure your snowplows and blowers have full tanks of gas and start them in the fall to be sure. A backup supply of fuel is also a great idea.
Don't forget pets. Use pet-friendly snow melting products and assure they are updated on flea and tick preventative medication.
Additionally, secure security lighting and assure the light bulbs are working properly.
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