Wednesday, October 30, 2013


As daylight savings time comes to an end this weekend, it is a good time to be reminded of some winter home safety tips.  

First of all, when setting your clocks back this Saturday night (or Sunday morning if you are like me and forget), you should also perform tests on your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms.  Change the batteries in the ones that are not hard-wired to your home's electrical system.  

It is also a good idea to have your home heating system checked out by a qualified HVAC service provider.  Chances are, if your furnace or boiler is going to have problems this winter, it will most likely happen after hours or on the weekend when you will pay big $$ to have someone come fix it.  A preventative maintenance check-up at the beginning can help you avoid this expense.  A check-up can also help ensure your heating system is functioning safely and efficiently.  

And one final tip that many people don't think about: if you are planning a winter get-away to warmer climes, turn off your water and have someone stop in and check your home every few days.  Many of our water damage  jobs in the winter come from frozen pipes in houses where the residents are out of town, the heating system goes out and pipes freeze, burst and water runs for days before anyone realizes.  
You don't want to come home from vacation to this...