Do you need a Castro Valley general contractor to deal with your winter maintenance? Although Old Man Winter may be wheezing his last few breaths, March through April can be surprisingly bitter times here in the Bay Area. To that end, here are four ideas to help you maintain comfort and manage costs, simultaneously.
Idea #1: Do a thorough check up of the following critical HVAC components:
- Furnace filter
- ED system (look for carbon monoxide leaks)
- Crawl spaces
- Bolstering
- Storm windows
- Hoses
- Exhaust ducts
- Window sills
- Shingles
- Downspouts
- Gutters
- Thermostat
- Check any other components or elements that might have been subjected to freezing, wind, or other heavy weather during the last few months.
If you haven’t compiled a checklist to review biannually, that list should get you started. Ideally, you want to talk to a Bay Area HVAC specialist to develop your own maintenance “to do” list, which should evolve over time and over the seasons. You don’t want to have to keep “reinventing the wheel” every time you do maintenance.
Idea #2: Send your family on a hunt for potential problem areas.
Is there a draft or mildewy smell in the bathroom? Is water leaking from the pipes behind the washing machine? Send your family on a “scavenger hunt” for potential trouble spots.
Idea #3: Note any anomalies, and immediately start to measure them.
For instance, let’s say your heating bill spiked over the past two months. This wouldn’t be surprising — people tend to use more heat during the winter. But if you found substantial deviations from normal numbers, you’d definitely want to note them, so you can tell your HVAC specialist about them.
Tracking can also help you conserve energy. Studies suggest that when you monitor your energy and heat consumption, you will dial down on that consumption substantially — as much as 20% — automatically and subconsciously!
Idea #4: Avoid overwhelming yourself — start small, and make the project manageable.
Chunk down the project, so it’s more manageable. Or, if it’s too overwhelming, call the family-owned and operated team Castro Valley general contractors at B. A. Morrison. Find out more about us at www.bamorrison.com, or call us now for a free estimate and answers to critical questions.
