When pumpkin spice is everywhere we look, that means it’s time to get ready for the cold temperatures.
Fall is the best time to have your heating system serviced. Whether you have a furnace or a heat pump, you should have a tune-up done before it gets really cold, to be sure it’s working properly and maintaining its maximum efficiency. You don’t want to wait until it’s really cold. And yes, you guessed it – be sure to check your filter! They should be changed monthly, or according to your system’s manufacturer.
It’s also a good time to check your door seals. Make sure you’re not seeing daylight around your exterior doors, and take a can of spray foam insulation and fill in around those drafty outlets and light switches.
If your ceiling fan has a reverse switch, use it to run the fan’s blades in a clockwise direction after you turn on your heat. The fan will push down heated air from the ceiling (remember, hot air rises). This is especially helpful in rooms with high ceilings.
Think about planting deciduous trees in south and west areas of your yard. Deciduous tree branches and leaves provide shade in the summer, then shed their foliage to allow warm sun to shine through in the winter.
In our area, fall is the ideal time to plant trees. It gives them an extra growing season before the stress of summer. The combination of cooler temperatures and fall rain allows trees to establish their roots, making it easier on them to adjust to extreme heat or drought in the summer. Many people fear that young trees can’t withstand the winter. However, that’s not the case. Trees go dormant in the winter, the equivalent of hibernation.