How to Ensure Your Comfort Is Nothing but a Treat This Year

Boo! October is here, which means the spookiest time of the year is upon us! But just like any holiday, your home comfort equipment is still up and running to keep your home at the perfect temperature for all of your Halloween frights.

Yes, that means an AC inspection or a quick fix for your gas hot water heater in your Tampa, FL, home might be in order. It also means that you need to be smart about how you’re decorating and celebrating the season! By taking a moment to keep your home’s safety and efficiency in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to avoid some costly surprises during an otherwise fun time of year.

Tips For a Smooth Spooky Season

• Your Outdoor Unit Doesn’t Need a Costume
  Decorating your home is one of the most fun parts of Halloween. Homemade ghosts for the trees, skeletons on the steps, big inflatables for the lawn…the list goes on! As tempting as it may be to decorate every inch of your property, the one area you’ll want to avoid decorating is your outdoor HVAC unit. Hanging decorations from or near the unit introduces the risk for unnecessary problems, like small parts being sucked into the motor or vents being blocked. This can cause stress on the system or serious damage.

• Mind Your Candles & Cobwebs
  Nothing sets the mood for Halloween quite like a creepy, dim lit candle and lots of cobwebs (the fake, polyester ones, of course.) These are great decorations, but you don’t want to place them just anywhere. All decorations should be placed farther away from indoor vents. Otherwise, they can restrict airflow, get caught in the ducts and reduce the effectiveness of any indoor air quality systems you’ve installed. Any flammable decorations should also be used with caution, as they can create safety hazards if left unattended. Try a battery-operated candle that’s safer but still spooky!

• Greet Your Trick-or-Treaters Outdoors
  Perfect weather on Halloween night? Yes, please! Being able to travel all over town and collect candy is the icing on this holiday cake. If you’re one to stay home and pass out treats instead, you may want to do so on your porch or stoop if you have one. Opening and closing the door dozens of times throughout the day causes your HVAC system to work harder to continually heat or cool the air to the correct temperature. That means not only higher energy costs, but also excessive wear and tear on the equipment. Plus, it’s an open invitation for outdoor pollutants to constantly enter the home.

Let’s Do the Mash—the Maintenance Mash!

Routine maintenance keeps your equipment in check by preventing large-scale issues from creeping up on your comfort. Finding a small leak here or a loose component there can be the difference between a quick tune-up and a full-blown repair or even an unwanted (and unexpected) replacement.

Cornerstone Always Makes Service a Treat!

Whether your AC is overworking itself or you’re looking for a residential water heater inspection for your Tampa, FL, home, Cornerstone is ready to help you!

Give us a call at 813.993.7995 to schedule a consultation or speak to a team member about your comfort needs.

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