Autumn is here and if you are like me, you've looked forward to pumpkin spice everything and an October full of harvest festival activities that end in a big sugar rush and the beginning of the holiday season. Now that you aren't melting in the heat, warm colors surround us. Studies show that people are happier and friendlier during the last three months of the year. Maybe that's why a good amount of household maintenance falls in autumn. Here's your friendly reminder of some important fall issues.
October also usually marks a temporary drop in crime. The summer months see a spike in home burglaries as whole communities frolic in the sun (and leave their houses empty.) Then as the shopping/party season gets going, we see a resurgence in opportunity theft. Cars full of gifts, distracted walkers with their faces buried in their mobile devices and house windows full of brightly wrapped presents all prove a temptation too strong for the town thief.
So while you enjoy the evening news showcasing happier stories and local heroes, don't forget to check these 5 fall items off of your "To Do" list:
Fall Home Maintenance
#1. Check your furnace...
I never had the furnace checked in my life until it didn't turn on. I love ADT Pulse because I can usually lie in bed and turn my heater on without getting out into the cold. That is, I can turn the thermostat up and when the heater works, I get heat. But, I waited until it was cold to see if it worked.
Where I lived, PG&E comes out for free to "re-light" the furnace and check it. That is in most cases, in my case, they found a cracked heat exchange and condemned my unit. That wasn't actually the worse part. Since I waited until it was already cold, like a million other people, I had to waited a week for a guy to overcharge me on a service call and confirm that it was cracked, then inform me of the back up on ordering units due to how far into the season we were. I am convinced that they charge extra for units during peak season. The moral of the story is: Take advantage of the utility company or the great deals that are offered before the cold hits. It will save you time, a lot of money and in my case an upset spouse because I was supposed to do it long before I realized I did not.
2. Do the seasonal yard work:
California has pretty mild winters, but if you live where the winds come in with angry force or the leaves gather in your gutters, take the time to do the seasonal clean up. Collect the leaves and dispose of them according to your cities ordinance. Clear gutters or pay a local kid to do it for you. Get the summer toys like hammocks, bikes and other summer fun toys put into a shed or side yard where they won't get blown into the neighbors yard or ruined by the cold.
It's also a good time to check emergency kits. As it starts to get dark earlier, getting stranded with a flat is a lot less fun and a bit more dangerous. Keeping things like fix a flat, and flashers in the trunk can help. Keep a first aid kit, a blanket and some water available just in case. For a complete checklist of fall maintenance tips, check out this list by Bob Villa.
3. Check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors should be checked monthly. Studies show that most homeowners check this once every couple years if they are not beeping on their own. When you take the time to check the furnace and emergency kits, go ahead and check the detectors too. Who knows, it might be so easy you decide to check them every month.
Family Safety Tips
4. Talk to your family about seasonal safety tips.
It is true that crime usually takes a dip in activity in October and then slowly moves towards yearly highs that can be expected during December. What a great time to stop, enjoy all the good stories on the news and prepare to be in that group. End of the year crime tends to be crime of opportunity and the average person serves up lots of opportunity during the holidays.
Remember that as the days are shorter, we are moving around in the dark more. This gives would be thieves more places to hide and not be seen by you, especially if your face is buried in a phone. Like a $500 to $600 phone that a thief could snatch before you even see them. When you leave a residence or business, take your keys out, put your mobile device away and walk confidently to your car or next location, keeping an eye on your surroundings. Find Safety Tips for other seasons here.
5. Utilize your home security.
The drop in crime doesn't mean criminals are all on vacation. Trends show that opportunity slows in September and October as people adjust to school schedules and are out less between the active summer months and the holiday months that are full of activity. So again the key is to prevent opportunity. Lock your doors and windows and keep them shut. Arm your system when you are home and when you are away. While home, you can arm to stay mode that has an entry delay or stay with no delay that will activate a siren the moment a door or window is opened.
Admittedly, the siren is phenomenally annoying (as it should be.) But for the average Joe, you forget a couple times and it will sink in that you turn it off before you open the door. If you have an ADT Pulse system, you should also be utilizing the system to turn lights on before you pull into the driveway and regulate the thermostat. A warm home is an amazing thing to come home to and an ADT Pulse thermostat lets you turn it on as you head home instead of having it run all day.
That's it, 5 simple steps to keep your family and house running well though the rest of the year. This blog was written with the hope that you are sitting down to a pumpkin spice latte, a pumpkin muffin or something incredibly reminiscent of autumn that makes you as happy as pumpkin makes me. Maybe pumpkin curry.
If you do not currently have a monitored home security system and would like to find out more, click below to have a security professional do a FREE home security review of your property and answer all your questions.
Related Video: ADT Pulse Overview Video
