Get car ready for winter now

Well-maintained vehicles deliver stronger and more efficient performance. Proper maintenance also helps avoid breakdowns and costly repairs, which can save you money. And when it comes time to replace your vehicle, a documented maintenance history will contribute to a higher resale value.

Last winter AAA’s Roadside Rescue Team came to the aid of nearly 35,000 stranded drivers. Almost 9,000 calls came from drivers with dead batteries, and more than 3,800 calls were for tire problems.

Now is the time to have your vehicle inspected to prevent breakdowns during the cold winter months that lay ahead.

How do you know when your vehicle needs routine service? With older vehicles, motorists had to study the owner’s manual or maintenance booklet and decide if they drove in “normal” or “severe” conditions. Then, they consulted a time/mileage chart that indicated when the car should be taken to the shop – and hopefully they remembered to do so. Most cars today are equipped with computerized maintenance reminder systems that remove much of the hassle from car care.

Confusion still reigns

Based on 2012 Car Care Council vehicle inspections, 77 percent of vehicles had overlooked maintenance items — the majority of which involved low or dirty engine oil. But many also had other service needs that are not routinely prompted by in-vehicle maintenance reminders, things such as low engine coolant, dirty air filters or burned-out headlamps.

Oil changes are another point of confusion. Suggested intervals for oil changes today can vary widely. AAA Tire & Auto manager Jason Brown recommends drivers take a cautious approach when it comes to scheduling oil changes. Brown said “The on board computers only monitor driving habits. They have no ability to monitor oil conditions. The oil itself is usually OK for the longer intervals, yet the oil filter can only filter so much dirt. After it becomes full of dirt it stops filtering and continues to flow the debris throughout the engine, which can result in serious damage. An oil change is the one of least expensive routine maintenance procedures you can do on your vehicle, and it has the greatest impact on the longevity of your engines life span.”

What’s right for your vehicle?

Whether you personally perform vehicle maintenance or rely on a trusted technician, the key is to follow the schedule set by the vehicle manufacturer. If your car has a reminder system, trust it to schedule your oil changes, but also be sure to review your owner’s manual or maintenance booklet to learn what other services are due at the same time.

Never ignore a maintenance reminder. Doing so will increase engine wear and potentially cause long-term damage.

It’s time to prepare your vehicle for the winter ahead

The new AAA Tire & Auto Center located at 8381 Old Troy Pike in Huber Heights offers customers a free air station so motorists can make sure their tires are properly inflated. Drivers can also get free bumper-to-bumper preventative maintenance inspections to help prepare for the upcoming winter. For more information, call (937) 281-3530.

Every month in Life, Cindy Antrican, public affairs manager for AAA Allied Group, Inc., provides traffic safety tips and information for motorists. Email: CAntrican@aaa-alliedgroup.com.

Get car ready for winter now

How to improve indoor air quality in winter

Homes tend to be stuffier in autumn and winter. As temperatures outside dip, windows are closed and air quality inside homes can suffer.

Poor indoor air quality can not only be uncomfortable, causing residents to experience headaches, dry eyes and nasal congestion, but also can be unhealthy. According to the American Lung Association, poor indoor air quality can cause or contribute to the development of infections, lung cancer and chronic lung diseases, such as asthma.

Though it’s not feasible or healthy to open windows when temperatures outside dip to near or below freezing, there are steps everyone can take to improve the indoor air quality in their homes.

• Add to your décor with plants. Plants provide both aesthetic and practical appeal to a home’s interior. Houseplants can clean and purify the air in a home, helping to remove formaldehyde, benzene and other toxins that can make indoor air unhealthy to breathe. Benzene is an irritant that can cause dizziness, headache, nausea, and blurred vision, among other side effects. Formaldehyde, which is often found in homes thanks to its widespread use in a range of products, can cause watery eyes, nausea and wheezing.

• Watch what you are lighting up. Many homeowners know that smoking indoors drastically reduces indoor air quality, putting even nonsmokers at heightened risk of developing various respiratory ailments. Homeowners concerned about the indoor air quality in their homes should ban smoking inside, no matter how low temperatures dip outside. In addition, homeowners with wood-burning stoves and fireplaces should be especially diligent maintaining these features, as they can release harmful soot and smoke if they are not taken care of. Some people may also be allergic to incense and scented candles, so keep a watchful eye on residents and guests whenever you light candles or sticks of incense. If any symptoms of allergies appear, avoid lighting any more candles or incense, waiting until you can open the windows if you want to light any again.

• Purchase an air purifier. Air purifiers are beneficial year-round, helping to remove allergens and particles from a home. High-efficiency particulate air filters, known as HEPA filters, are extremely effective at removing airborne particulates from the air inside your home.

• Pay attention to pets. Like their owners, pets tend to spend more time indoors during the winter. That means more fur and pet dander, the skin flakes in an animal’s fur or hair that can trigger allergic reactions, is likely in your home during the winter than in the summer. To combat this, bathe your pets regularly in the winter, making sure to wash the animal’s bedding in hot water on a weekly basis as well.

• Open the windows when possible. Winter does not typically provide many opportunities to open the windows, but you might get a few chances to let some fresh air in through the windows during winter. Make the most of these opportunities, and when possible crack the windows when you’re cleaning so dust and other particles that kick up have a path outside of your home.

Clean interior air should be a yearround priority, but homeowners may have to go the extra mile to keep their homes’ interior air clean when winter arrives.

© Copyright 2015 Yorkton News Review

How to improve indoor air quality in winter

Checklist: 7 winter maintenance tips for your home

Keep an eye on your roof’s snow load. D.J. Schloss, left, and Doug Metz, right shovel off a roof in Alden, N.Y. on Nov. 20. The weight of the snow has caused problems around the area with roofs collapsing and buildings compromised.

Gary Wiepert / AP

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Tempted to shut everything up tight and hunker down when it’s cold outside? That might not be the best move.

Windows, for instance, should be kept uncovered as much as possible to expose the glass to warm inside air, minimizing condensation, says Tamarack Homes in its winter home maintenance guide.

Here are some other winter tips to follow. Some we’ve heard before, but a reminder never hurts.

Open and shut: Leave bedroom doors open when you can for better air circulation.

Bone dry: Hardwood flooring can be damaged if your home gets too dry. Monitor the relative humidity with a hygrometer (a tool specifically designed to measure humidity) and set your humidifier for 30 per cent or higher.

Checkup time: If you haven’t yet done it, get your annual furnace check/cleaning to make sure it’s running as efficiently as possible. Also make sure you’re replacing or cleaning air filters in the furnace, HRV and hood fan either monthly or as needed. Tip: Running your furnace fan throughout the year helps provide ventilation for the house.

Air care: Make sure your indoor air vents (HRV and furnace supplies and returns) are clean and not blocked by dust, furniture or drapes. Air supply vents in the basement should be open.

On or off? Your HRV draws outside air into the house. But on very cold days, you don’t want this dry air, so switch it off.

Outside: Make sure roof louvres, vents and soffits are not blocked. Your attic needs to breathe.

Checklist: 7 winter maintenance tips for your home

Weatherproof your home for winter

Sponsored by: Eastern Connecticut Association of REALTORS®

It’s time to prepare your home against winter’s harsh weather. Take a tip from the Eastern Connecticut Association of REALTORS® – a few simple, precautionary steps can save money and add to the value of your home. Keep in mind the benefits of making the improvements and the risks involved in leaving some jobs unfinished.

ECAR offers the following winter weatherproofing tips.

HEATING SYSTEMS

Heating systems vary, but in general, industry standards advise a professional check-up every year for oil-powered units and every three years for those powered by gas. However, do-it-yourself maintenance also is advisable. With the furnace off, you should replace air filters, and vacuum dust from the blower, fan blades grills and air intakes. Replace any cracked or frayed belts.

If your furnace supplies heat using hot water in pipes or radiators, you may need to lubricate the motor that pushes water through the system. Remember: the efficiency of hot-water systems can be impaired if air gets caught within the systems, because air takes the place of hot water. Make sure the valve that lets air escape is working properly.

CHIMNEY FLUES

Checking your chimney is another important weatherproofing task. If you are uncertain about the condition of a furnace or chimney flue, it’s best to hire a chimney sweep to clear out creosote (the flammable oily residue that accumulates when wood is burned). If left uncleaned, creosote could be re-ignited, causing a chimney fire.

If you decide to clean out the furnace flue yourself, take apart exposed pipe sections and brush them outdoors. To clean a chimney flue, pull a sand-filled canvas bag back and forth through the opening, working from the roof. Make certain the flue is closed to keep soot from filtering inside the house.

SMOKE DETECTORS

Although battery-powered smoke detectors should be tested year round, it is crucial to test them in the winter because sources of fire – such as fireplaces, wood stoves and portable heaters – are used. Testing battery-powered units is simple: make sure the batteries work. A unit connected to the electrical system should also be tested, but probably does not need any maintenance except, perhaps, a light dusting.

AIR OR WATER LEAKS

Look for air cracks around windows, doors, pipes, ducts and other openings. It is important to seal these leaks with flexible caulk. Seams where siding meets windows and doors should also be caulked. On brick siding, fill in eroded joints with mortar, to keep out air, water and snow.

INSULATION

Check the attic to see if insulation needs to be added or replaced. This is the most significant area of heat loss in many homes, so it is also important to see that it has proper ventilation. Inadequate ventilation could lead to premature deterioration of the insulation materials. It may be necessary to check insulation in exterior walls, crawl spaces and along foundation walls, as well.

GUTTER CLEANING

Clean the leaves from all gutters. Then, make sure the drainage system works by running water through them.

Preparing your home for winter is a smart way to cut energy costs and make sure your home is safe. It’s a job that is well worth the time and effort.

Visit our web site at easternctrealtors.com or our blog at ECARVoice.com.

Alvin Kinsall is president and state director of the Eastern Connecticut Association of REALTORS®

Weatherproof your home for winter