The winter is almost here, which means that you’re almost out of time to get your Cobourg, ON, home ready for the cold weather. With the weather outside becoming harsh, you’re going to be spending more of your time indoors, and you’re going to need your heating system to be operating at peak efficiency.
Putting too much pressure on your furnace can cause damage to the appliance and can prevent it from giving you good results, which is why it’s especially important to find ways to make things easier on your heating system. By following these five steps, you can prepare your furnace for the winter while also ensuring that you stay comfortable and save money.
1. Schedule a Furnace Tune-Up
Ideally, you should get a professional furnace tune-up for your furnace at least once a year, and scheduling one shortly before the winter is always a good idea. During this regular maintenance visit, your heating technician will make tweaks and adjustments that allow your heating system to run at maximum efficiency. This will result in your furnace not only doing a good job of warming up your home, but it will also burning up less energy and accumulate less wear and tear while doing so.
Additionally, during this tune-up, the technician will inspect the furnace for any problems that are either present or likely to occur in the near future. In many cases, they will be able to take care of the fix before it becomes a serious problem or results in a furnace breakdown. Having a broken-down heating system in the winter is the last thing you need, which is one more reason that scheduling a maintenance appointment is a wise decision. In the Cobourg area, the team at Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning has skilled heating experts who can conduct this maintenance for you at an affordable price.
2. Replace Your Furnace’s Air Filter
Your furnace’s air filter has the important responsibility of keeping the appliance from becoming dirty or clogged up. It accomplishes this by trapping the particles of dust, dirt, and other debris before they can make their way into the furnace.
However, over time, these air filters can become overly clogged. Because the heating system needs to be able to pull air through the filter, these clogs can become problematic. When the furnace has to work so much harder to get air through the filter, it burns up extra costly energy and puts extra strain on the appliance. This results in a shorter lifespan for the furnace and a higher likelihood of problems or breakdowns.
To remedy this, you simply need to regularly clean the furnace’s air filter and, every now and then, replace it with a new one. You should, if possible, try to clean the air filter at least once a month, and, with the winter right around the corner, the fall is the perfect time to switch it out for a new one.
3. Clean Your Vents
Your heating system relies heavily on the vents around your household as it needs them to circulate the warm air throughout the home. This is how it ensures that every part of the house is provided with enough heat. However, much like the furnace’s air filter, the vents will gradually become dirtier and even clogged up with dust and loose debris. This makes it much harder for the furnace to circulate air and also leads to irritants being circulated along with it, significantly worsening the indoor air quality.
You can avoid this problem by thoroughly cleaning all of the vents, and right before the winter is as good a time as any to do so. Simply remove the protective vent covers with a screwdriver, and use the long extension hose of a vacuum cleaner to remove all of the dust, dirt, and debris. This will ensure that your heating system can circulate warm air effectively, which will be very important as the temperature outside drops.
4. Give Your Heating System Regular Breaks
During the fall and winter, it’s a good idea to give your furnace regular breaks whenever possible. When you’re able to find other means of staying warm, even if only for an hour or two each day, those rest periods can really add up for your heating system. An important part of winterizing your heating system is making sure that it doesn’t become worn down before the weather gets cold, and taking the pressure off of it now and then can make a big difference. There are multiple ways you can allow your furnace to have these resting periods.
One great option is to utilize the curtains in your home. If you’re strategic about when you open and close them, you can actually help keep your home warm without putting so much strain on your heating system. In the daytime, especially when the sun is out shining, open up all of the curtains in your home. This will allow natural light and warmth to spill in, heating the household and allowing you to turn your thermostat down. On the other hand, when it gets dark, close all of the curtains. Your windows and glass doors are a major source of heat escaping, but when your curtains are closed, they do an effective job of keeping that warmth trapped inside.
Another good way to let your furnace rest is by simply turning the thermostat down each night when you go to bed. You shouldn’t need the house to be as warm when you’re under the covers, and by lowering it even seven to 10 degrees, you can help your heating system stay healthier for the wintertime. Additionally, turning the thermostat down this amount for eight hours each night can add up to some major savings on your energy bills.
5. Seal Up Any Air Leaks
Air leaks are one of the biggest obstacles to keeping your heating system healthy and efficient during the winter. Even the smallest leaks can allow significant amounts of warm air to escape, and cold air to enter. These leaks usually form around the edges of windows and doorways, and it’s important to find and seal as many as possible before winter arrives. You should be able to handle it on your own with some inexpensive caulking, but you also always have the option of hiring local professionals to do a thorough job.
For more than 15 years, the team at Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning has been providing high-quality heating and cooling services to the greater Cobourg area. Our team also provides indoor air quality and water heater services. We are a locally owned and operated business, and we pride ourselves on having a people-first approach to doing business. We are happy to offer top-notch guarantees that our clients will always get what they pay for and expect.
We also believe in supporting our community, which is why we sponsor local hockey teams, participate in YMCA sponsorship, and make annual donations around Christmas time. We would love to help keep you comfortable by handling your HVAC needs. Give us a call now, and schedule an appointment with a friendly member of our team.
