When the cooler temperatures begin moving in, many people retreat to the warmth and comfort of their homes. However, if you haven’t checked to make sure your furnace is ready to perform, you may have a rude awakening on a cold winter’s night.
It is essential that you know the best practices for keeping your home heated during the winter. You need to make sure you take steps to keep your furnace operating properly and safely. If you aren’t sure what these steps are, you are in the right place.
Keep reading to find out how to know for sure if your furnace is ready for the heating season. Here you will find some actionable HVAC tips for this winter.
Don’t Raise the Temperature Excessively
Are you concerned that your gas furnace isn’t going to be able to reach the temperature you set quickly enough? This is a common concern; however, try to resist the urge to raise your temperature settings excessively. If you raise the temperature on your home’s thermostat quickly, it won’t make the home heat up faster. All you will be doing is increasing your heating bill and causing wear and tear and damage to your equipment.
Turn Off Portable Heating Equipment when Not in Use
Are you planning to use a portable space heater to help warm up your home? If so, this can be effective. However, make sure that you turn off any portable heating equipment when you aren’t going to be in the room. Leaving a space heater unmonitored is a huge space heater.
Safety Tips and Equipment
When it comes to safety, you need to make sure that your carbon monoxide detector and fire alarm have new, working batteries. Test all the detectors in your home to ensure they are ready and able to alert your family if there is CO or a fire in your home.
Use Your Fireplace Safely
Be sure that you always close the damper in your fireplace if you don’t have a fire in it. If the damper remains open, then your chimney is essentially a vacuum. It will suck up all of the warm air in your living space. This can increase your utility expenses, cause your system to run longer than usual, and result in increased wear and tear on your system.
Ensure Proper Airflo
The key to having an efficient HVAC system is proper airflow. Be sure that you change the filter in your furnace before the heating system begins. A dirty filter will not only reduce the total airflow, but it will also significantly reduce the quality of your indoor air. Have you noticed more dust in your house? If so, it could be due to a dirty filter in your furnace.
The absolute most important thing that you can do to get ready for the heating season is to call the professionals for preventative maintenance. They can inspect your system and let you know what needs to be done to ensure it lasts through winter.