Twice a year, we adjust our clocks for Daylight Saving Time (DST). The topic creates impassioned discussion on both sides of the isle. Certainly, Daylight Saving Time is now without its share of controversy.
Regardless, Daylight Saving Time is happening on March 8th (remember, we “Spring forward”). And even though we technically lose an hour, few can dispute that it will be really nice to get out of work with several hours of daylight still left in the day.
While it’s easy enough to remember to move all your clocks an hour forward, Daylight Saving Time is also a great time to remember to take care of a number of seasonal tasks:
- Test your smoke detectors. You should really be doing this quarterly, but if you can’t remember to do that, then checking your smoke detectors twice a year when we flip the clocks is not a bad alternative.
- Reverse your ceiling fans. Assuming the worst of winter is behind us, you can flip your ceiling fans back to normal so they will push cooler air downward for the spring and summer. This simple move can help you use the heating and cooling of your house more efficiently while saving money on your energy bills.
- Change your furnace filter. If you have an in-unit furnace, DST can be a great reminder to change out the filter on your HVAC system. The frequency with when you should be changing the filter depends on its size.
- Replace light bulbs. Have a light bulb out that you’ve been ignoring for a few weeks? What better time to change it than now?! Better yet, buy some LED bulbs and change it with those. LEDs have been coming down in price recently, and their projected lifespan is around 10 years!
- Replace your fridge water filter. Do you use the ice and water dispenser on your fridge? Most are meant to be replaced a few times a year, based on frequency of use, but many people forget to change them.
