Angie's List Consumer Reviews, Contractor Ratings and Doctor Referrals

Services: Fall Checklist

The fall season offers homeowners a final chance to prepare for the upcoming cold weather and even some of the easiest chores can save you big dollars on your energy bills.

Angie’s List (www.angieslist.com), the nation’s leading provider of consumer ratings on local service companies, contacted its highly rated providers to put together a list the most important fall chores for homeowners who don’t want to get snowed by Ol’ Man Winter.

“Like it or not, winter is on the way and no one wants to wake up to find the furnace has stopped working,” said Angie’s List founder Angie Hicks. “Some basic chores can alert you to the warning signs of a system breakdown and save you money in the long term. Better to invest in a routine service call and basic maintenance than shell out big dollars for an emergency call.”

Angie’s top fall chores:

• Service your heating system: As much as 80 percent of emergency calls answered by heating specialists are the result of improper maintenance. Schedule an appointment soon so you can beat the rush and help avoid a breakdown in the middle of a freeze.
• Check and replace filters: Fall is also the perfect time to check your furnace filters and replace if necessary. Efficient operation distributes heat better and cuts your energy costs. Plus, it’s an inexpensive and easy task.
• Protect your pipes: Have you plumbing looked at and water lines insulated. Cleaning all lines can help remove clogs. Clogs cause back ups, which can freeze, then cause the weakening of pipes and bursting. Wrap your pipes with insulation designed for plumbing. In many situations, insulation will be all you need to protect your pipes.
• Drain water from your water heater: You can improve your water heater’s efficiency by 50 percent by draining sediment build up from the holding tank.
• Add insulation: This is one of the lowest-cost options for improving the energy efficiency of your home. The proper amount of insulation you should have depends on the climate you live in. Obviously, the colder the weather, the more you need. Look in your attic, if you see exposed two-by four’s, you are due for more insulation.
• Seal drafts: Caulk, seal and weather-strip where drafts are detected. Walk through your home with a lit stick of incense or a candle. Drafts will pull the smoke that direction, making it easier to determine where the cold air is seeping in.
• Schedule a chimney sweep: Creosote build-up can lead to a chimney fire.
• Check your gutters: Gutter blockage of dead leaves and other muck can cause serious water damage. If they are clogged, hire a professional for a cleaning. If they are not clogged, check again after the leaves have fallen.
• Rake up the leaves: Fallen leaves will deprive your grass of crucial sunlight during the fall months. Leaves can also accumulate and get wet, leading to mold growth and a breeding ground for pests.
• Vehicle inspection: Summer travel can take a toll on your car. Schedule a maintenance check with your mechanic so it will be in good working order to endure the long winter months. If you haven’t packed your trunk with an emergency kit, now is the time.

Angie’s List is where thousands of consumers share their ratings and reviews on local contractors and companies in more than 340 different categories. Currently, 750,000 consumers across the U.S. rely on Angie’s List to help them find the right contractor or company for the job they need done. Members have unlimited access to the list via Internet or phone; receive the award-winning Angie’s List magazine, which includes articles on home improvement and maintenance, consumer trends and scam alerts; and they can utilize the Angie’s List complaint resolution service. Get more information about Angie’s List at http://www.angieslist.com Read Angie’s blog at http://www.angiehicksblog.com