With the weather getting colder and only a couple months remaining in 2020, we are recommending homeowners take this time to think about their HVAC systems and ask the question: Would I rather heed some easy suggestions now, perhaps making some minor precautions, or would I rather be stuck looking for an emergency furnace repair company some frigid night down the road because I didn’t take the time to look at my home heating system?
To prevent this unpleasant scenario, or any like it, our team of certified HVAC technicians here at Delaware Heating & Air put together the following list of six easy steps for homeowners to take to avoid emergency furnace repair calls.
Use Your Furnace Early in The Fall
We haven’t used our furnaces since earlier this year. As such, the best strategy to get an idea whether it’s going to run properly again this winter is to start using it as early as possible in the season, and to allow it to run to test it out before it gets too cold. Using it during the fall will give you an idea of its condition to determine whether it seems good. This also enables you to look for overall glaring general problems before it’s too cold. In all probability, this will help to avoid the need for emergency furnace repairs.
Replace Your Air Filters Monthly
We know we say this a lot. However, we only do so for good reason; we say it because it’s so critical! Replacing your HVAC system’s air filters on a regular schedule is very important. Many homeowners realize this, too, and yet far too many of them still fail to check and change it as often as they should. We get it: This time of year is hectic. As such, we added this to the list here to remind you yet again now. If you have the basic fiberglass air filters in your home heating system, or furnace, you should be replacing it every month throughout the winter. In any case, regardless of the filter, they at least need to be inspected once a month during the winter to ensure they aren’t dirty or causing airflow restrictions. This only takes a second.
Do Not Shut Air Vents in Unused Rooms
Contrary to common perception, keeping the air vents or registers in the parts of your home you aren’t using closed is not a good idea. This common misconception is prevalent, as some people believe this saves them money on energy costs. The opposite is true in the long run as this does more harm to your furnace than good. The reason closing vents isn’t helpful is because it makes your HVAC system far less efficient and puts strain on it impedes its intended operation, which can bring about other developments that are bad for your furnace and AC system.
Keep Tabs on Thermostat’s Battery
From time to time, we arrive at a home to make an emergency furnace repair and find out there isn’t really a problem with the system at all, at least not one that warrants calling a certified HVAC technician. Sometimes, a homeowner’s heat seems to stop working because the battery in their thermostat dies. The homeowner would have easily figured this on their own (or better yet avoided it altogether) if they’d only known to change their thermostat’s battery, or at least keep tabs on its age. Because of this, we encourage you to keep an eye on the age of the batteries in your thermostat. On an average, these batteries are functional for three to four years. The amount of time varies a lot, so it’s not a bad idea to check it more often than that. If your thermostat’s battery is getting older, or even if you don’t remember the last time you had to replace it, this should serve as a reminder to keep track of their age, and replace your thermostat’s batteries as often as necessary.
Understanding Your Thermostat’s Fan Settings
On the other side of the coin, sometimes we have customers who are concerned because their furnace won’t turn off. They tell us that it’s blowing air, and running non-stop, but the air it’s blowing out isn’t warm. In many of these situations, we eventually piece together that there isn’t anything wrong with their furnace, other than user error. The problem is due to the thermostat being on the wrong setting, and the homeowner not understanding the differences. Because of this, it’s important to realize the difference between the settings: “Auto” and “On.”
- For the “On” Setting: If the thermostat is set to “ON” the fan will run non-stop, even if the furnace is not making any heat. When the fan is “ON” it will continue to blow air through your vents regardless of the furnace.
- For the “Auto” Setting: If the thermostat is on the “AUTO” setting, the furnace fan only runs if the furnace is generating heat for the home. If the furnace stops producing heat, the fan will “automatically” turn off.
Set Up Your Preventative Maintenance Visit Today!!!
We say this all the time. And yet, we cannot emphasize it enough! Don’t let this all-too-important piece of advice go in one ear and out the other. Preventative maintenance is essential; it is such a wise investment that comes at such a marginal fee that pays for itself many times over. Because of this, we urge homeowners, if you haven’t done so already, give us a call to schedule your annual furnace tune up as soon as possible so you can reap the rewards of our preventative maintenance visits. Our certified HVAC technicians are top notch experts on keeping furnaces running optimally and they are happy to come over and tune up your furnace and diagnose any minor problems to ensure your system thrives through the winter.
When it comes to something as intricate as a furnace or any HVAC system for that matter, it pays off in the end, in dividends, to be proactive with your expensive HVAC systems rather than being reactive. It’s no different than getting the oil changed in your car.
Just think about it: How much it would cost to replace your home heating system?
How much money are you wasting on extraordinarily high energy bills?
We are here to help! For more information, call Delaware Heating & Air today at 740-227-8302, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!
