Home Maintenance Checklist for Spring and Summer

          Great tips from Lennox Industries on how to keep your home cool,

                                         healthy and energy efficient

  

General guidelines for keeping your home cool and efficient:

· Have a qualified HVAC professional inspect your home’s ducts and cooling equipment.

· Clean or replace your air conditioner filters every month.

· Clean chimney and check to see if your fireplace is working properly.

· Clean out rain gutters and storm drains.

· Clean and vacuum vents, baseboard heaters and ducts.

· Seal air leaks in the attic, basement and crawlspace, and also around

   windows and doors.

· Check your attic for proper insulation. (The U.S. Department of Energy suggests

   a value between R-22 and R-49.)

· Keep shades or curtains drawn on the sunny side of the house, especially during

   early- and mid-afternoon hours.

Extra steps you can take to save energy:

· Install a programmable thermostat, so you can preset temperatures for different

   times of the day.

· Replace single-pane windows with newer double-pane models, which help reflect

   the sun’s rays and reduce energy loss.

· Apply a reflective coating to your roof. When replacing your roof,

   use light-colored shingles.

· Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents to create a cooler

   feeling and save lighting costs.

· Install awnings or plant trees outside your home to create shade.

Things you can do to improve air quality and reduce potential health risks:

· When adjusting clocks, change batteries in smoke alarms, as well as radon and

   carbon monoxide detectors.

· Consider a ventilation system to increase air circulation inside and add a healthy

   dose of fresh air.

· Clean water-damaged carpets and materials, or consider replacement.

· Reduce the potential for buildup of allergy-causing pollutants by keeping

   your house clean.

· Take special precaution when operating fuel-burning appliances to avoid leakage.

· Store and dispose of household chemicals in a safe manner.

 

Lennox Industries is a maker of high efficiency heating and cooling systems.

 

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