3 things that may go wrong if you don’t winterize your house (BPT) – Fall is here, which means, like it or not, cold weather is just around the corner. While most of us would prefer not to think about turning on our heat just yet, this is actually the best time to check your heating to ensure everything is operating as it should. Neglecting to winterize your home and letting small issues pile up can have big repercussions. Ahead of the winter season, HomeServe, a leading provider of service plans, repair and installation services for the home, wants to make sure you’re aware of three major things that may go wrong if you don’t winterize your house or neglect your heating system. 1. Your utility bills may skyrocket. Utility bills often jump up in the winter due to the increased hours of darkness and the cost to heat your home. But if your heater is on the fritz or your filters are clogged,
you could be in for an even bigger surprise. Dirty filters cause your furnace to work harder, which leads to inefficiency and a shortened lifespan for your heating system. Replacing filters is often an easy task for homeowners. A yearly tune-up is an inexpensive way to help prevent a costly system breakdown in the coming months. Also, keep in mind that some warranties require annual tune-ups, so don’t let your warranty go invalid by skipping this year’s tune-up. 2. The threat of carbon monoxide is very real. Do you know how old your furnace is? Do you know how long it’s been since a professional checked it over? Carbon monoxide poses a health threat when the heating system flue, vent or chimney becomes blocked from debris or other material. During a heating system tune-up, a professional service technician can check to
Austin Furniture Stripping & Refinishing
CHAIR CANING • CHAIR RE-GLUING MINOR REPAIRS • FURNITURE REFINISHING Hours: Mon-Fri 8-5 • Sat 8-12
1446 Olean-Portville Rd • Olean, NY 716-372-4339 austinfurniturestripping.com
seaustin@roadrunner.com
make sure all your vents are not blocked and are working properly. Drains and traps also need to be checked and combustion gases should be analyzed and compared to the specifications of your furnace or boiler to make sure everything is running safely. Installing a carbon monoxide
detector in your home is another smart way to help with early detection. 3. Water pipes can burst. It’s not just your heating system that needs to be winterized. All too often it happens - we wake up to realize our pipes are frozen, or even worse, leaking. Before the cold sets in, make sure outside hoses are put away and water is turned off. Evaluate which pipes are at the greatest risk for freezing during cold weather. For example, if your water pipes come up from an un-insulated crawl space, or if they are in or close to an uninsulated outside wall or vent, they are more likely to freeze and burst in low temperatures. Inside pipes should be covered in insulation to keep pipes warmer
longer. Pipe insulation is easy to apply and available at most hardware stores and home centers. By having an annual tune-up in the fall, you can catch small issues now, instead of experiencing bigger problems in the dead of winter. A
tune-up can also save energy, reduce heating costs and prevent a system breakdown in the coming months. For more information on National Tune-Up Day, including a heating system check-list, visit nationaltuneupday.com.
Real Estate Auction for The Estate of Elmer Blush Saturday, October 12th • Noon 627 Main Street • Olean, NY 14760 Historic 1915 - 18 Room 2,888sq.ft. Home w. Full Basement Separate Living Quarters or Home Office and Large Walk Up Full Attic located on a corner lot next to Olean Medical Center with large 6 car garage and fenced in lot - a real dream home. Terms 20% deposit on day of Auction, balance at closing, 10% buyers premium, call for info 585-721-8844 to Richard G Mason Auctioneer/ Salesman, Pepper & Crandall Broker 716-372-7200.
FINK LAW OFFICE Dawn A. Fink Esquire
Real Estate • Estate & Wills • Family Law Criminal Law • Oil & Gas Lease Negotiation
814-642-5133 219 N. Main St., Port Allegany
CLOSE OUTS ••••••• NEW MODELS ••••••• AND ALL OTHER MATTRESSES
NEW
Bed In A Box Program
Hammonds Furniture Store
The Working People’s Store
716-373-7710
M-Wed 10-5 • Th & Fri 10-7 • Sa 10-4
Family Owned and Operated
1120 W. State St. • Olean, NY 14760 Free Layaway • Financing Available • No Credit Needed • See Store for Details
ELECTRIC
COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL Master Electrician 35+ Years Experience No Job Too Small!
Serving all of your electrical needs.
OFFICE: 716-372-2852 CELL: 716-904-3377 LICENSED & INSURED CITY OF OLEAN #522 • • • CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATES • • •