Six simple home checks for a Lowcountry fall

I grew up in Colorado, where fall was pretty easy to recognize. The temperatures dropped, the leaves changed and you knew winter was coming.

After more than a decade of living on Hilton Head Island and raising my family here, I’ve learned that fall in the Lowcountry requires a slightly different definition.

By October, we’re finally starting to get those mornings and evenings that remind us a new season is here. But the air conditioning may still be running, humidity is still part of everyday life and seasonal allergens certainly haven’t disappeared.

As a dad of two boys and someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about heating, cooling and indoor air quality, I’ve also learned that this transition between seasons is a good time to give your home a little attention.

Here are six things I check or think about at my own home this time of year.

1. Start with the air filter.
This is probably the simplest thing on the list but the most commonly forgotten. Your HVAC system has been working hard through a Hilton Head summer, and your filter has been collecting dust, pet hair and other particles along the way.
Check it. If it looks dirty, change it. And make a note somewhere you’ll actually remember for next time.

2. Pay attention to the humidity inside your home.
We all know what Lowcountry humidity feels like outside, but excessive moisture inside the home can be a problem, too.

If your house consistently feels damp or clammy, you notice condensation or there’s a musty smell that wasn’t there before, don’t simply write it off as “Hilton Head humidity.” Those are signs worth paying attention to.

3. Give your vents and returns some breathing room.
Take a quick walk through the house and look at your supply vents and return-air grilles. Furniture, rugs, curtains and even the things our kids leave lying around can unintentionally block airflow.
While you’re there, wipe away any visible dust that has accumulated around them.

4. Look around your outdoor unit.

Summer storms, landscaping and general Lowcountry growth can leave leaves, pine straw and other debris around an outdoor HVAC unit.
You don’t need to take anything apart. Just make sure the area around it is clear and that plants and debris aren’t crowding the equipment.

5. Think about what you’re bringing indoors.
Fall allergies aren’t just a spring problem. Pollen and other outdoor allergens can hitch a ride inside on shoes, clothing and pets.
Simple habits can help: Leave shoes near the door, wash bedding regularly, vacuum and dust, and keep an eye on that HVAC filter. Indoor air quality is about more than one piece of equipment. It’s the combination of how we live in our homes and how we maintain them.

6. Finally, listen to your house.
This might be the best advice I can give any homeowner.
You know what your home normally sounds, smells and feels like. If the air conditioner suddenly sounds different, one room feels warmer than the others, the house seems unusually humid or you notice a new smell, pay attention.

None of these things takes much time, but after a long Lowcountry summer, they’re worth checking as we head into a new season.

Fall may look a little different here than it did growing up in Colorado, but I’ve come to appreciate it. And I know cooler evenings are coming, even if, on Hilton Head, the air conditioner is still running.

Miguel Leman is the owner of TemperaturePro Lowcountry. He can be reached at 843-380-9137 or miguel.leman@temperaturepro.com.