Fall is upon us and it’s time to start thinking about what we can do to prepare for the cold weather. One important preparation is being sure that your home and heater are ready.

Make sure that your home is properly weatherized. Caulking, sealing and weather-stripping around all of your windows, outside doors, or where plumbing, duct work and electrical wiring penetrate exterior walls, floors or ceilings can add up to big savings on your heating bill.

If you have a fireplace, your chimney and fireplace should be inspected by a chimney service before you use it for the season, and should be cleaned if necessary. Cleaning is important because chimney flues that become lined with creosote are a fire hazard.

It’s also important to have your heating unit inspected and serviced each year before you use it. Make sure to change or clean your furnace’s filters regularly. Having your heater serviced will keep it performing optimally.

During combustion your furnace creates Carbon Monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly. Normally the CO produced by the combustion is exhausted up the chimney and out of your home. However, a furnace that is not working properly can leave CO in your home. You can protect yourself from CO poisoning by installing a CO detector in your furnace room.

This information is provided as a service to you by Compliance Consultants, Inc.