You’re sitting on your couch enjoying a nice cup of cocoa and a winter movie when all of a sudden, the room starts to get a little chilly. After a few hours, it’s so cold that you’re shivering and your toes feel frozen.
No number of blankets can help you when your heat cuts out which it always decides to do right in the dead of winter. With the cold months coming up soon, you’re going to need to do a bit of furnace maintenance to avoid this unfortunate scenario.
Check out this guide for a few steps all homeowners should take to keep their furnace going strong.
1. Be Proactive
If you want to avoid frozen toes on a cold winter night, you’ve got to be proactive. Google “furnace maintenance near me” in the late spring or early fall to find a company to take a look at the system for you.
Having furnace experts come out to do an inspection once a year costs money but it’s worth it in the long run. You can take a look at the system yourself but you’re bound to miss something that a professional would have caught.
2. Change the Filter
You need to change your air filter at least once every three months. Cold weather or no, it’s an important step to keep your HVAC system working all year. It also keeps the air quality in your home nice and clean.
Filters aren’t that expensive to replace and if you have an electrostatic furnace, you can simply pull the filter out and wash it clean.
3. Do a Visual Inspection
Every year in the fall, take a second to do a visual inspection of your furnace. Check to make sure that every part is secured tightly and if you have a gas furnace, sniff around the area. If you smell rotten eggs it means that you have a gas leak that needs to be fixed ASAP!
Again, doing a visual inspection yourself is helpful and you should do it but it’s important to call in a professional for a second opinion too.
4. Remove Dust
When too much dust and dirt build-up in your HVAC system it will get clogged and stop working the way it should. To avoid this, take a small brush and carefully shake the dust loose from all the wires and parts.
Go behind the brush with a portable vacuum to finish up the job.
5. Throw the Whole System Out
Sometimes the most important part of annual furnace maintenance is recognizing when it’s time to throw the system out. As much as you would like to avoid paying money to have the unit replaced if it’s broken it’s not going to last for the entire winter season.
Furnace Maintenance Tips to Live By
HVAC systems never choose the right time to go out. If you don’t perform these crucial furnace maintenance steps, chances are it’s going to be a chilly winter. There are only so many blankets that you can throw on before you become a popsicle.
Furnace inspection isn’t the only thing you have to do to get your home ready for the winter. Check out our blog daily for even more home care tips.
