The weather is getting colder outside by the day, and there’s nothing wrong with having the urge to stay home, bundle yourself up in blankets, and essentially hibernate for the winter. That being said, if you intend on having your thermostat turned up when you’re spending all that time at home, you better make sure your heating system is ready for that amount of work. Just like all appliances, your furnace can become overwhelmed if there’s constantly too much pressure on it, especially if it hasn’t been properly cared for and prepared. Before you start your hibernation, take these simple measures to ensure that your heating system is given the best chance to stay healthy and efficient all winter long.
1. Use a Humidifier
Have you noticed that your home’s air tends to be especially dry this time of year? This is often the case, and it actually makes your house feel colder, as dry air struggles to move heat energy around. When you add a humidifier to your home, it restores a lot of the moisture to the indoor air. As a result, you’ll be able to stay warm even while your furnace takes a break.
2. Insulate Your Attic
The warm air inside your house is always trying to rise, and if it’s allowed to do so, it will keep rising all the way through your attic, roofing, and out of your home. For you to stay warm and comfortable though, something has to compensate for all of that lost heat. Your furnace is likely to be the one that ends up paying the price. When you have insulation installed, it creates a barrier that prevents most of that hot air from escaping through the roof, and it takes a ton of the strain off of your heating system. For a high-quality option, consider using spray foam insulation, which does need to be installed by a trained professional with the proper equipment.
3. Schedule Furnace Maintenance
If you want to save money on energy bills this winter while staying comfortable and keeping your furnace healthy, make a point to schedule a furnace tune-up as soon as possible. During this tune-up, a technician will be able to improve the heating system’s energy efficiency, allowing the system to do its job effectively without accumulating too much wear and tear. The appliance will also be less likely to break down or malfunction, which is the last thing you want to be dealing with in the middle of winter.
4. Have Your Ducts Cleaned
Your heating system uses your air ducts as a means to transfer heat to various areas of your house, but if they become too full of contaminants like dust, dirt, and pet dander, it makes it much harder for the furnace to do so. The heating unit will end up working much harder to circulate warmth, and some of those irritating particles may get kicked up into the air you’re breathing as well. The start of winter is the perfect time to bring in a ductwork professional and invest in a thorough inspection and cleaning.
5. Replace the Furnace Air Filter
Just like you don’t want your ductwork to get dirty or clogged, you also don’t want your furnace’s air filter to get dirty or clogged, either. As the furnace constantly pulls air through it, the air filter catches and traps the contaminants and pollutants before they can get sucked into the furnace. However, if too many of those particles accumulate, the heating system won’t be able to smoothly pull air through, and the extra energy it will need to exert will be both costly and damaging to the appliance. You can prevent this by simply checking the air filter each month, and switching it out for a new, clean filter whenever it becomes too dirty.
At S.O.S. Heating & Cooling, we’re proud to offer quality heating and air conditioning services to the greater Salt Lake City, UT, area. When dealing with customers, every single member of our team strives to be honest, capable, loyal, and proficient. It’s important to us to develop long-term relationships with the people that we serve, and we are thrilled to have established deep roots in our community. We sponsor the Taylorsville High School girls’ softball team and participate in other community events and local charities.
Let us assist you with your home comfort needs. Call us up at S.O.S. Heating & Cooling today, and get your first appointment scheduled right now.
