Servicing Your Furnace Or Heating System Before The Weather Turns Cold
Living in one of the colder parts of the country like the northeast makes the need for working heat much more important than if you live were it is warm all year. The time to have your heating system checked and serviced is in the early fall before the weather turns cold. Finding a problem because you did not have it cleaned and checked can make a cold winter that much worse and once it gets cold, the time you have to wait for a service technician may increase because of increased demand.
Cleaning the Furnace
The type of furnace you have may dictate how often it needs to be cleaned but in general, a yearly cleaning is recommended by most furnace repair companies. If you can plan your cleaning for the early fall, the likelihood that the heat pump or furnace will fail is much lower. The technician will come out and look at all the components that make the furnace run and make a recommendation for repair or replacement of part if there is something to be concerned about and will clean the firebox and other parts of the furnace that need it. Once the cold sets in, shutting the heat down for service will allow the house to cool off significantly and it can take quite a while to warm up again after the technician has finished their work.
Quick and Easy Things You Can Do
One of the most common things that homeowner or resident can do to make the furnace run more efficiently is to change the air filters in the system. They are easy to get to and do a good job of filtering out the particulate that the furnace can stir up when the furnace starts blowing heated air out of it. If you need a filter, take the old one out of the furnace when it is off and take it to a local home center so they can help you get a replacement for your furnace. They will give you some options that include more or less filtering and there are even ones that can be scented so the house smells nice when the furnace is on.
Emergency Calls and Repair
There are parts of the country, like the northeastern states and along the east coast, that gets cold early in the fall. Planning for that may mean having your service done in the late summer months. While it might seem odd to get the furnace or heating system cleaned and serviced in the warm summer months, waiting or putting it off could mean a breakdown after the weather has become cold and snowy. Emergency calls are harder to get once it is cold and the cost may be higher. If you do have a breakdown of the heating system, having the number of the heating company that you use in a handy place, like on the refrigerator or cork board near the phone, is a good way to be prepared in case you do have an emergency and a breakdown that you didn't see coming.