As the weather starts to cool off outside, homeowners start to plan for the colder winter months. One maintenance task that you need to include is properly preparing your furnace. We’ll go over some of the most common steps to take to ensure that your furnace is ready to take on the cold winter months.
Get Professional Service
One of the best things that you can do is to schedule professional service for your heating system. This will include an abundance of individual tasks, like calibrating your thermostat, lubricating moving parts, and checking for carbon monoxide levels. This service goes a long way to keep your heating system operating as efficiently as possible and works to extend the overall lifespan of your system.
Check Your Air Vents
If your heating system uses ductwork to deliver hot air throughout your home, then make it a priority to check all your air vents. Ensure that they’re in the open position, and no items are obstructing the flow of air in or out of the vents. Contrary to popular belief, it’s never a good idea to close off air vents and rooms that you may not use often, as doing this will affect the overall efficiency of your heating system.
Program Your Thermostat
As you switch from cooling your home to heating it, make sure to update your thermostat. Switch it over to heating mode, and program in a temperature schedule. This will go a long way to help you keep your energy bills in check throughout the winter months.
Change the HVAC Filter
Fall is the perfect time to replace the HVAC filter in your ducting. For ultimate indoor air quality, consider investing in a filter with a MERV rating of 10 to 13. Avoid getting a filter with a higher rating, which could decrease the efficiency of your heating system.
Seal Air Leaks
Air leaks can develop on your exterior walls as your house settles over time. Run your hand around the frame of your doors and windows to identify where any new leaks have developed. Seal up those air leaks with caulking or weather stripping to prevent cold air from seeping into your home over the winter.
Order Fuel
If your heating system relies on propane or heating oil, order fuel for your system. Consider signing up for an automatic fuel delivery service so that you don’t need to worry about reordering fuel throughout the year.
Switch Ceiling Fan Directions
If you rely on ceiling fans to help control the temperature in your home throughout the year, switch the direction the fan blades spin. The winter, your ceiling fan blades should be spinning in a clockwise direction. This works to recirculate warm air from the top of each room outward and down.
Test Detectors
At the bare minimum, make sure your smoke detectors have fresh batteries and are working correctly. If you rely on a heating system that burns propane, heating oil, or natural gas, then ensure you also have carbon monoxide detectors on each level of your home. Test them all, and give them fresh batteries. Additionally, confirm that your fire extinguisher still works.
Test Run Your System
As part of your maintenance checklist, give your heating system a test run. Typically, you’ll need to set your thermostat to be at least 5 to 10 degrees higher than the current temperature. As your furnace kicks on, pay attention to any weird noises or odd smells that come out of your vents. It’s not uncommon to smell a strange odor for the first few minutes your system runs and burns off dust. Make sure you walk around to every supply vent to check that it’s producing adequate heat.
Expert HVAC Maintenance Service
Waterbury Heating & Cooling, Inc. offers expert HVAC maintenance service for homeowners throughout the Sioux Falls, SD area. Our technicians can assist with all your plumbing, electrical, heating, cooling, humidity control, heat pump, indoor air quality, and air duct cleaning needs.
Contact our team at Waterbury Heating & Cooling, Inc. today to schedule a service appointment!
