Comfort Tips For Your Home This Fall (2025) 

Every time the seasons change, it’s nice to reset, and get yourself ready for the next season. This could mean spring cleaning, buying new snow removal equipment, or getting the pool ready for the summer. Every season has its own set of challenges and tasks to complete in order to make your home more comfortable and prepared. In this article, we’ll go over some comfort tips for your home in the fall, ranging from DIY tasks to some more involved ones that require hiring a professional. 

I have been working in the Havertown area for 20 years, and John Cipollone Inc. has been doing it since 1953. We are very familiar with the homes and the weather in our area, and know a few things about keeping them comfortable without getting hit with huge energy bills. 

If you want to speak to a professional about your home comfort, give us a call at (610) 446-7877, or contact us online! Our experts have seen it all, and are happy to help. 

Fall Home Tips (HVAC And Home Comfort)

Schedule HVAC Service

Something you should do every year is schedule routine service for your heating system.  After sitting idle all summer, your furnace or boiler needs a tune-up to ensure it’s ready for the cold months ahead. If you have a heat pump, it’s been running all summer, and could use a professional service check for any wear and tear, and ensure it’s ready to go for the next season. Annual HVAC service from a professional will improve energy efficiency, get ahead of breakdowns and repairs, and extend the life of your HVAC system. 

It also maintains your warranty. Most warranties require annual professional maintenance, or it could void the contract. 

In Havertown and surrounding towns like Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, and Haverford, we see how quickly temperatures can drop once October hits. One day it’s nice outside and the next you need your heating system for a crisp fall evening. Professional service ensures your system is running efficiently and safely. Furnaces emit dangerous gases like carbon monoxide, and without a proper exhaust, it could be dangerous and deadly. 

A seasonal tune-up also helps you save money. If your system lasts years longer, and runs more efficiently, it’s going to translate to saving money. Your energy bills will be lower, and you won’t have to worry about replacing your system years prematurely. 

Clean Your Outdoor Area

Over the course of the summer, you’ve had branches growing, sticks falling around your outside, and now leaves are about to start coming down. There are a few things you can take care of on your own to keep your property clean, safe, and prevent issues with flooding or damage to your home. 

• Gutters: Clear your gutters to prevent water backups that could damage your roof, siding, or foundation. Clogged gutters can also cause water to spill directly around your HVAC unit, which isn’t ideal.
• Patio furniture: Put away or cover furniture to protect it from weather damage and to make room for safe snow removal later in the season.
• HVAC equipment: Check around your outdoor heat pump or AC condenser. Trim back overgrown bushes and sweep away leaves. Your system should have some space around it so air can flow properly, and sticks and debris don’t get into the fans of your condenser. 

These are some simple steps, but ones that can prevent you from having to deal with costly problems later! 

Seal Leaks Around Windows And Doors

Drafty windows and doors are one of the biggest sources of wasted energy in the fall and winter. Small gaps and slits under windows and doors can cause air to leak. This causes discomfort in certain areas, and also causes your energy bills to rise as well since your heating system is working harder to compensate. 

If you’re handy, we recommend you use weatherstripping or caulk to seal gaps around doors, windows, and baseboards. Hold your hand to the spots and see if any air is coming through. You may not realize how much of a difference a small leak can cause. 

For older homes in Havertown and the Main Line, sealing drafts can be especially important. These homes have a lot of character, but they often lose more heat through old windows and doors. A little extra effort goes a long way in keeping them efficient and cozy.

Change Your Air Filter

Changing your air filter is a simple, but often forgotten task. We change the filter during a routine service, but those only happen once, maybe twice a year. You should be replacing your air filter every 1-3 months. 

During fall, dust, pollen, and debris accumulate more quickly because of leaf litter and fluctuating outdoor air quality. In a home with people who have allergies or breathing problems, changing the filter may be even more important. 

A dirty filter restricts airflow, forcing your system to work harder and reducing the comfort inside your home. We’ve seen some ugly filters in homes where the resident had forgotten to change it, and it caused problems with their HVAC system!

We recommend having a few filters on hand so you can replace it easily each season without having to worry about ordering more or going to the store. If you aren’t sure how to change your filter, you can ask your technician during a routine service appointment, or check out our video right here! 

Clean and Clear Your Vents

After a summer of using your AC, you want to make sure your vents are clear and clean. Walk through your home and check that all vents are free of obstructions such as furniture, rugs, or curtains.

Once you see that your vent is clear of any obstructions, you’ll want to clean it off.  Vacuum dust from vent covers. If you notice that there’s buildup in your vents you can’t get to, you may want to consider a professional duct cleaning. 

Check Your Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you use a furnace or any system that burns fuel, it comes with a risk of carbon monoxide exposure. Gas furnaces, boilers, and fireplaces all produce CO as part of combustion. A properly functioning system vents this safely outdoors, but cracks in the heat exchanger, or problems with the exhaust could cause dangerous leaks. 

Test all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home and replace batteries if needed. It’s a simple step, but it can actually save lives.

If your home doesn’t already have CO detectors on each floor, install them before you begin using your heating equipment. It’s a crucial and important step in keeping your home safe. 

Why These Fall Comfort Tips Matter

We prefer to prepare for winter, rather than react to it. Making sure your home and heating system are ready for the next season is easy, but if you put it off too long, it could cost money and sacrifice comfort.  

At John Cipollone Inc., we’ve seen how a little seasonal maintenance can save families in Havertown thousands of dollars over the years. Between a longer heating system lifespan, lower energy bills, and fewer repairs needed, it all makes a big difference. 

At John Cipollone Inc., we’ve been helping Havertown families with their heating, cooling, and comfort needs since 1953. If you’d like help with any of the fall comfort tips mentioned here, give us a call at (610) 446-7877 or contact us online. Our experts will make sure your home is ready for the season.