Winter is here again. I have not posted anything new in a while, so I thought the cold weather was a good time to start again. There have already been some broken pipes and irrigation system troubles. Don't forget, now that we are below freezing at night to turn off your sprinkler systems and shut off the water to the irrigation system all together until warmer temperatures are back next year. This is also important if you have a pool or water feature that uses pumps or above ground pipes. 

This is the time of year also to make sure you have changed your air filters as you are starting up the heaters. Remember that your HVAC unit works constantly to keep your house warm or cool and keeping the air filters changed  and the air flowing will help your system last longer and be as efficient as it can be. A dirty filter can slow up the flow of air and can burn out the motor or cause the unit to ice up when a/c is running, or overheat when heat is running. 

While you are at it... check the smoke detector batteries. best to have fresh ones yearly and thest the smoke detectors. Don't wait until they wake you up at 3 am chirping with a low battery alarm. That seems to be their favorite time to start. If your smoke detector is over 10 years old, it may be time to replace them. Some ways you can tell is if they are stamped with manufacture date or a replacement date is written on, or if your ceiling is white and your smoke detector was white but is now yellow. Don't laugh, I see this alot, and they should be replaced with new ones. If any of your appliances or heating system runs on gas, you should also have a CO2 detector. This can be accomplished with a separate alarm, or by purchasing a combo smoke and Co2 alarm.

Hope you stay warm this winter season, and have happy holidays, with no household problems.