Buffalo, NY is known for its especially harsh winters. Whether you’re dealing with freezing temperatures, storms that dump feet of snow at a time, or any other potentially troublesome weather that comes during the lengthy winter season, you undoubtedly want to be sure your home’s heating system is working properly. The best way to ensure your home will be nice and toasty once the cool weather hits is by taking time to learn how to winterize a house now. Doing so can help you avoid major disasters like frozen pipes and make sure you and your family are comfortable no matter what’s going on outside.
Get Regular Tune-Ups
Most people are great about taking their car in to get regular tune-ups and maintenance. But extending that same care to their furnace isn’t something that’s as common. Getting your furnace tuned-up regularly prepares it to work all season long and helps make sure it’s safe to use. Here are the top reasons why regular tune-ups should be part of your yearly winterizing checklist.
- Enhances safety (ensures there are no gas leaks)
- Saves you money (catch minor problems before they turn into major, more costly ones)
- Protects your manufacturer’s warranty (avoid your warranty becoming void due to not taking action to prevent a problem that could’ve been fixed)
- Improves your furnace’s durability (a well-maintained system lasts longer)
- Helps conserve energy (minimizes waste when parts are working as they should)
As you can see, annual tune-ups are critical for the condition of your furnace. Tune-ups are only $68 and can truly make or break the function of your furnace this winter season.
Keep Up With Repairs
If a tune-up reveals the need for a repair, it’s best to take care of any necessary repairs ASAP. Even fall temperatures can dip low enough to make it necessary to turn on your furnace to keep your home comfortable, so it’s better to get repairs done sooner rather than later.
But if you didn’t get a tune up, there’s still some ways you can tell if your furnace might need a repair. Here are some clear signs to keep an eye out for.
- A large, unexplained increase in your utility bill
- Strange smells coming from the furnace
- Loud banging noises while the furnace is in use
- A big difference between what your set your thermostat to and the actual temperature in your home
As you can see, although getting your furnace repaired will cost money up front, it will likely save you money in the long run because there’s the potential to save money on utility bills, extend the life of your furnace, and avoid bigger repairs in the future.
If you have a heat pump, we also provide heat pump repair and replacement services! Maintenance is essential no matter the system you have in place.
Change Filters
Your furnace and air conditioning system usually use the same filters. So changing your AC filter will still impact you throughout the wintertime. While a filter change is primarily beneficial because it helps improve the air quality in your home, a fresh filter has another benefit too. When an old filter is caked in dust and other debris, it makes it difficult for air to pass through it. This can impact the efficiency of the appliance, leading to higher energy costs.
This one small change can give you peace of mind knowing that you’re breathing cleaner air, and not paying higher energy bills when you don’t need to.
Plus, an added benefit is that when your HVAC technician changes your air filter, they do more than just pop a new one in. They use the opportunity to take a quick peek at your system and make sure everything looks like it’s supposed to.
Get Duct Cleaning Services
One HVAC maintenance step you don’t want to skip this winter is duct cleaning. It’s no surprise that people tend to spend much more time inside during the colder months. This is why it’s especially important for the air inside your home to be fresh and clean. The best way to achieve this is by cleaning out your ducts.
This helps get rid of allergens that might have built up over the summer, pet dander, cooking residue, mold, dust, dirt, and other debris. Aside from helping you breathe easier, duct cleaning improves energy efficiency, eliminates odors, extends the lifespan of your HVAC system, and enhances airflow.
Spending the winter inside will be much more enjoyable with clean ducts.
Reverse Your Fans
Any ceiling fans you have should have a switch on the base that allows you to reverse the way the blades spin. In the summer, they spin one way so they can push warm air up and away from you, keeping you cool. But in the winter, you want that warm air that’s usually stuck at the ceiling to come down and warm the rest of the room. When the fan spins the opposite way, it pushes the air back down.
It might seem counterintuitive to have a fan on in the winter but it can help evenly disperse warm air throughout a room, especially in rooms with high ceilings.
Know When It’s Time To Replace a Unit
While regular HVAC maintenance is important, it won’t keep any unit going for forever. The day will come when a replacement unit is needed. Thankfully, the HVAC contractor you regularly work with should be able to tell you when a unit is reaching the point of no return. This is one major benefit of working with the same contractors on a regular basis. They become familiar with your units and can tell when a replacement is more worthwhile than continuing to do repairs.
If you find it’s time to install a new heater, or other appliance to keep your house in tip-top shape this winter, then it’s better to know it before winter comes.
Cellino Plumbing and HVAC Is Ready To Help You Prep for Winter
Now that you know how to winterize an HVAC system, it’s time to put in the work! We’re ready to help if your home falls in our general service area. We cover a wide area that reaches Hamburg, NY, Elma, NY, Tonawanda, NY, and beyond! Whether you just need help with some HVAC cleaning, you need a new furnace installed, or anything else in between, we’re happy to work with you because we care about our customers having a safe and comfortable home to spend their time in this winter. Please contact us today for more information!
