Fall hasn’t hit just yet and heating is probably the last thing on your mind, but it should be! Now is a great time to plan ahead and ready your furnace for the colder seasons. You don’t want to have a mid-winter emergency because your furnace isn’t ready to handle the cold! Follow these tips and you’ll be more than ready to set yourself up for heating success.
Change Out Those Air Filters
Clogged up air filters not only harm indoor air quality, but they also reduce your furnace’s heating performance. You may wonder why that is. The reason is that air filters that are caked with dust don’t allow adequate airflow and ventilation for your HVAC units to do their jobs.
Most people have media air filters in their ductwork and vents. These are effective but require regular replacement. We recommend that you switch these out once a month and never let them go three months without switching them out. Make it a part of your monthly cleaning routine!
Tidy Up Around Your Furnace
If you have checked on your furnace is the past few months, now is a great time to clean up the area. You’re more likely to see something go wrong if your furnace is surrounded by debris and dust. Cleaning now can set you up for success when winter comes around.
Make Sure Your CO Detectors are Up-to-date
CO, or carbon monoxide poisoning, is a silent killer of thousands every year in the United States. While you should have some kind of alarm system in place to warn you of a leak, these do have a shelf-life. You can expert your alarm to fail after 5 or 6 years of use. Before you start running your heater more often in the winter, make sure your detector is ready to go!
Get a Professional Inspection
We recommend getting your HVAC units inspected once before winter and once before summer. While you can do a lot as an individual homeowner, someone with expertise can help make sure everything is running smoothly and even improve performance through some simple tune-ups.
Anderson Plumbing Heating and Electric can help you with furnace repairs and maintenance. Give us a call at (334) 231-6980 or fill out an online contact form!