Does your heating system receive the care it needs to power through the winter season? Professional heating tune ups are a must each year, but the furnace maintenance checklist doesn’t stop there! Find out what tasks homeowners need to do regularly throughout the winter months to keep heating equipment in peak shape.
Professional Maintenance Tune Ups
The most important step on the furnace maintenance checklist is a professional heating tune up . Ideally, you want to schedule this service in the fall, prior to the first chilly day of the year. Furnaces require one professional tune up each year.
This maintenance service provides the detailed care your furnace needs to keep all components in good working order. A skilled technician follows a comprehensive furnace maintenance checklist that covers service, cleaning, and inspection of the entire system. These steps ensure your furnace is functioning correctly and that its energy efficiency is optimal. This is also an opportunity for system flaws to be identified and corrected before the heating season starts – otherwise you may be left without heat when you need it or cause further damage to the system by operating your HVAC equipment with flaws present.
Homeowner’s Furnace Maintenance Checklist
Just because your furnace’s professional tune up is complete doesn’t mean your heating system maintenance responsibilities end for the year. Follow our furnace maintenance checklist throughout the winter season to keep your system operating at its best.
1. Replace the filter
When the weather gets cold, furnaces run more frequently. Because of this increased operation, the system filter may fill up sooner than it does during the spring or fall. It’s important that you change indoor air filters to avoid airflow restrictions that could cause overheating or increased energy consumption.
Inspect your furnace filter monthly. Change it as needed, and at least as often as recommended by the manufacturer if more frequent replacement is not required.
2. Keep the home clean
It’s a good idea to regularly vacuum, dust, and sweep to remove contaminant particles from your indoor environment so they don’t have the chance to make their way into the indoor air supply. When you keep more of these particles out of the HVAC system, the furnace is less likely to suffer from damage and increased energy consumption.
3. Program your thermostat
You need to set a temperature schedule for your programmable thermostat before the start of heating season. Keep in mind your family’s daily schedule, and program efficient temperature adjustments around occupied hours. If your household schedule changes at any point throughout the season, be sure to update your thermostat settings. If you need to temporarily increase or decrease heating, use the thermostat’s HOLD feature rather than adjusting set schedules – just be sure to remove the HOLD when you no longer need it to avoid unnecessary energy waste and protect the savings generated by the furnace maintenance tips.
4. Reverse ceiling fan direction
Use your home’s ceiling fans to give your furnace some help this winter. Set fan blades to rotate in a clockwise motion for the winter months. When rooms are occupied, turn on the fan at a low speed to generate an updraft that pushes ceiling-level warm air back down to the spaces below. You may feel comfortable lowering the heat while the fan runs, as it should help you feel a few degrees warmer. Be sure to turn fans off when everyone leaves the room to prevent energy waste.
Don’t Cut Corners on Furnace Maintenance
Each step of our furnace maintenance checklist is meant to help you save money, stay comfortable, and care for your home’s heating equipment. A good maintenance routine helps Columbus, GA, and Opelika, AL, homeowners lower energy bills and keep their furnaces running longer. Don’t forget to schedule your professional furnace maintenance tune up. Call Energy Savers today to schedule an appointment for all of your home’s heating and cooling needs!
