The Mid-Atlantic winter can be bitter and long. During these winter months, many Pennsylvanians find themselves cooped up indoors. For this reason, the fateful day the heater stops working is often at the worst possible time.
If you want to avoid your own worst-case scenario, it’s a good idea to stay on top of your heater’s service schedule and keep an eye out for possible warning signs that your heater is on its last leg.
Keep Ducts and Vents Clear of Dust and Debris
Floor registers should never be obstructed by furniture, miscellaneous household items, or debris. Make a plan to remove your floor registers and vacuum your home’s vents and ducts at least once or twice a year. If you’ve had recent construction on your home or you’ve fallen behind on cleaning your vents and ducts, professional cleaning services are available.
Winterize Your Home
Many energy companies offer customers additional incentives if they winterize their homes. Heating professionals can utilize specialized equipment to locate your home’s culprits for lost heat. Common winterization tactics include weather-stripping doors and windows, adding foam insulation to attics, basements, and crawl spaces, as well as sealing ductwork.
Winterizing your home will reduce your monthly energy costs as well as cut your heater some slack. By reducing your home’s heating load, you put your heater under far less stress during the season, and you will be able to prolong your heater’s lifespan.
Replace Filters Often
Clean filters are a vital part of an efficiently operating heating system. Filters are an inexpensive way to ensure that your heating system is always performing to the best of its ability. There are various options available, ranging from basic protection to more full-spectrum products designed for allergy and asthma sufferers. Every heating system is different, as are every household’s needs. If you are a member of a large household with multiple pets, it’s a good idea to change your filter once a month, but every household should strive to replace their filter quarterly at the minimum.
Schedule Your Annual Service Call
Many gas and heating companies will send yearly reminders to schedule your service call. It’s always best to schedule your service call before the winter season to ensure that your system works well during the coldest months of the year.
Annual maintenance will allow your service technician to stay ahead of common signs and recommend repairs before your system is out of commission.
Signs It’s Time to Do Something About Your Heater
Sometimes, even the best prevention plans fail, and an issue crops up out of nowhere. If you fall into this category, it’s important that you know the signs to look out for and when it’s time to do something about your heater before a minor inconvenience evolves into a significant hazard.
For more information about how to keep your heating system running efficiently, reach out today!