You need your furnace during winter more than any other time. And to ensure the furnace doesn’t go out on you, you need to prepare it for the heating season. How do you do this? Here are tips on how to prepare your furnace for winter:
Clean the furnace before the winter months
At least one or two months before the season, ask a furnace repair services provider to clean the furnace. When you clean the furnace before the season you have peace of mind as you know the furnace is in top working condition and you won’t be left in the cold.
Cleaning the furnace before winter also saves you money as you get to hire the cleaning professionals at a lower price as they are in their lowest season.
The cleaning and maintenance professionals are busy during or at the beginning of the season so doing your maintenance early on will cost you more as the contractors’ demand is high at this time.
When you are hiring contractors, don’t make the mistake of hiring the cheapest even if you are looking to save as much as possible. Remember that cheap contractors are usually uninsured and inexperienced so they are more than likely to provide subpar services.
To hire the right contractor, take your time to research, and find the average contractor price in your area. Stay away from a contractor charging a price that is too low. At the same time avoid a technician charging an extremely exorbitant price as they might be ripping you off.
Inspect and replace the furnace filters
Air filters are vital to the proper functioning of the furnace and if you go with dirty filters into winter, you will attract high energy bills. Your furnace also overworks, which significantly reduces its lifespan. There is also a high chance of the furnace grinding to a halt because of dirty filters.
To prevent this from happening, clean, or replace the furnace filters before winter. You can clean them by yourself or hire a professional to help you out.
Inspect the furnace burners
Dust and debris accumulate on the furnace burners during summer which sees the furnace performing inefficiently. Like dirty filters, dirty burners lead to the overworking of the furnace which not only reduces the appliance’s lifespan, it also puts the appliance at the risk of grinding to a halt in the middle of a cold night.
Oil the furnace blower
As you are getting to winter, you want to ensure everything is functioning at top condition. This includes the furnace blower.
The blower motor has a significant impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the furnace so you need to ensure it’s properly oiled for it to function efficiently and avoid unnecessary noises.
Ensure the thermostat is functioning optimally
The thermostat controls the furnace so when the thermostat isn’t functioning properly, there is no way the furnace will. To confirm your thermostat is functioning properly, turn it on and monitor how it responds.
A properly functioning unit should start with no problem so if yours is, you have a problem in your hands. Don’t troubleshoot it by yourself. Instead, contact experienced furnace services Falls Church to help you out.
Do you have a manually operated thermostat? You should replace it with a programmable thermostat. The programmable thermostat allows you virtual control. For example, you can set it to your preferred temperature while you are at work so you find a warm, cozy house by the time you are coming back.
The thermostat is also easy to use, so you have an easy time setting your preferred temperature.