November 4, 1997

Getting Ready for That Old Man Winter

By Ann Wilke
Sun Correspondent

For a minute there, as the calendar swung from October into November, winter seemed at the door.

As the days warmed this week into an Indian summer, though, the Old Man backed off. It’s temporary though. He will return.

The reprieve gives homeowners time to attend to those chores necessary to battening the hatches for another bout

(One of life’s more interesting mysteries is the northeast Kansas winter: will it be blizzards and snow banks, ice storms and fender benders or a sort of on-again/off-again affair in which the fleas never freeze? We’ll stay tuned and get prepared.)

Last week a couple of people who know their way around houses’ and their equipment and Kansas winters offered some suggestions for the rest of us

Sandy Duvall is the manager and co-owner, with husband Doug, of Mission Heating and Air Conditioning Co. in Shawnee. The Duvalls have been in business 15 years (“Doug a lot longer than that”) and they know how to get the furnace in This Old House ready for winter,

“The first thing to do - and it’s easy and very; very important - is to change the filter,” Duvall said.

Changing that furnace filter should be a regular maintenance chore, she said, probably once a month. Look for dirt and debris, anything blocking the flow of air.

Why is this little housekeeping task so essential?

“If the system works too hard, there is no air for the blower motor. In the worst case, I have seen filters actually sucked into the motor.”

Big problems. Big dollars.

Replacing the filter is relatively inexpensive.

“Most people have the throwaway kind that costs from 50 cents to a dollar to replace.”

The age of your furnace will determine the degree of maintenance it needs to get through the winter.

“Some of the older furnaces can be a little cantankerous,” Duvall said. If you haven’t done so yet and before it gets any colder, test it. Turn it on and see how it’s working.

“Are the burners igniting? If not, call.”

If you know where to look for igniting burners, do it. If you don’t and you are concerned, consult an expert. The furnace checkups advertised by contractors this time of year are inspections can result in cleaning, tunings and adjustments.

The inspection by a qualified technician is a good thing, Duvall said, especially if it has not been done for awhile.

“If you’ve been sort of toodling down the road for three years or so, it’s time for a checkup.”

The furnace checkup should include these things:

- Check of belts on belt driven motors.

- Oiling the blower motor.

- A check of the flue draft. (“People don’t think about the flue, but in the winter time little birdies like to sit on top of it and some times they fall into it and it is very important that it be open and working.”)

- Checking the heat exchanger and cleaning it out.

Duvall categorized as “older” any furnace of more than 10 years. She recommended a tune-up every three years, more often if the homeowner feels it’s necessary

She had some advice for shutting down the air conditioning system for the winter, too.

“The outside unit is made to sit outside. Don’t cover it up. When you do, you create a nice, moist environment for little spiders and bugs that may get into the coils and cause you all kinds of problems next spring.”

Instead of covering the unit, be ready to clean it out next spring, she said.

“In late spring, before summer, you’ll get a rake and get the leaves raked away from it and the weeds pulled off. Then you’ll get a garden hose and spray it out, starting at the top and working down.”

Duvall characterizes such chores as changing the furnace filter and hosing down the air conditioner coils as good preventive maintenance.

“When you have maintained your equipment, you will be happier and the life of the equipment will be longer. Clean is important.”

Dan Bowers, owner of Holmes Inspection Co. and an active and certified member of the American Society of Home Inspectors, agrees about the importance of preventive maintenance.

In the course of his career (which includes training as an engineer and experience in construction), he has pretty much seen all the results of absent or inadequate maintenance.

“Properly planned preventive maintenance, even with the time and energy that it consumes, is still far more cost-effective than the crisis management approach of waiting until something breaks and then scrambling to get it fixed.”

He suggests homeowners plan two big preventive maintenance times a year - one in the fall and one in the spring - and he calls them tune-ups.

The fall tune-up, Bowers said, should include these steps:

- Check for blistering exterior paint, usually a sign of moisture penetration. Find and stop the moisture source.

- Trim back any trees or shrubs rubbing the siding or roof.

- Fill in eroded sports close to the house so that ground water will flow away from the foundation.

- Check caulking and, where it’s needed, add some; start with any gaps in the foundation and work up to the doors, windows and trim and then, as long as you have the caulk and gun handy, go inside and check around tubs and sinks.

- If you are comfortable doing this and have a good pair of non-skid shoes, get up on the roof and check for loose shingles, broken ridge caps, cracks in the chimney.  Replace what you can, use your roofing cement around chimney flashings and plumbing vents and get into the attic to check for leaks.

- Do a door and window review, replacing broken or missing glass and hardware, inspecting and replacing if needed the glazing and weather stripping. Don’t forget the garage door; lubricate its hinges, rollers and tracks.

- Check your chimney for loose mortar and creosote build-up; if you are suspicious or unsure of what to look for, find a good chimney sweep.

- Check your smoke alarms to be sure they’re working.

- Drain the water heater until it flows clear to clean out sediment build-up. Also, check drainage in sinks and tubs, pour some baking soda and hot water through the dis posal and make sure the toilet bolts are secure and their wax seals are not leaking.

- Look for cracks and deterioration in the driveway, patios walks and retaining walls and repair as needed.

- Check and repair outside wooden steps and decks; look for pest or moisture damage.

- Disconnect hoses from all exterior water faucets to prevent burst water pipes.

- Clean gutters and downspouts and consider preventing future junk build-up there by installing a metal mesh or solid sheet metal gutter cover. (Or consider replacing gutters with a non-clogging alternative system.)

Bowers said that ran that performs all of these preventatives.

“Take all of this with a grain of salt and remember: the more you do, the better off your home will be.”