With winter fast approaching, it’s more important than ever for homeowners to know exactly how to care for their heating and cooling systems — especially home furnaces! Here are a few of the most important tips to keep in mind as the temperatures drop:
- Preventative care — i.e., regular cleaning from a professional furnace repair service — is always the best way to make sure that your heating and cooling units are working properly. It’s recommended that you have your HVAC unit cleaned twice a year: once in the spring before you turn on any home air conditioning systems, and once in the fall before you turn on your heating system.
- If your furnace is older than 12 years, make sure to keep an eye on how it’s operating! The average home heating system will last about 12-15 years (with proper furnace repairs and maintenance), but it’s not uncommon for older furnaces to have a shorter life span.
- You might not realize that your heating system needs to be replaced — until you take a look at your energy bills, that is! Most homeowners don’t pay attention to how efficient their HVAC systems are, so the easiest way to tell if a system isn’t running efficiently (and should be repaired or replaced) is if the energy bill is higher than usual (which happens when the furnace constantly runs).
- Cleaning out the air filters and ductwork in your house is another important part of AC and furnace repair. Without regular cleaning, you could find that the air in your house is stale and even aggravates allergies — this is because dust naturally collects in the ducts and is blown into your home when the system is turned on.
So now we want to hear from you — what are your own tips for staying warm and safe during the cold weather?