As聽the聽leaves begin to fall聽and the聽temperature drops,聽it's the perfect time聽to聽prepare聽your HVAC system聽for the winter months ahead.聽Routine聽fall HVAC maintenance聽helps prevent unexpected breakdowns聽and聽keeps your home聽ready for the cold. Here are聽10 simple steps聽to聽ensure your furnace is聽working well聽this聽season.

1.聽Swap Out Your HVAC Air Filter聽Every So Often

All your basic聽HVAC air filters聽trap聽dust, allergens, hair and聽other airborne debris,聽protecting聽your聽heating and cooling.聽New聽filters better聽preserve聽indoor air quality聽by聽trapping聽microscopic pollutants.聽Over time, the air filter聽becomes clogged, which聽limits air circulation聽and聽may overwork your furnace. To聽avoid聽this,聽replace the filter聽regularly throughout the year.

2.聽Optimize Your Thermostat Settings

With聽the temperatures dropping soon,聽now's the time to change聽your thermostat from聽cooling to heating mode.聽Adjusting your thermostat settings for each season聽keeps costs in check聽and聽ensures a cozy home. Here are聽a few聽tips:

Adjust the temperature to 70Â°F聽or聽below聽for as long as you're in the house.
Drop the temperature a few more degrees聽to around 62 degrees聽when you're away聽or聽overnight. A聽programmable聽thermostat can聽handle this and even create optimized settings聽for you.
Refrain from聽overriding聽programmed settings. Instead,聽layer up with a sweater or blanket聽if you聽are still too cold.
When it IS necessary to change聽the temperature,聽do so one degree at a time.聽Setting it as high as possible聽won't speed up the heating process.

3.聽Keep Ventilation Clean and Free of Debris

Every now and then, set aside聽some time to聽check聽all the air聽duct openings聽in your home.聽For any registers covered in dust,聽grab your vacuum's brush attachment聽to聽clear it off.聽Ensure聽that no return or supply vents are聽obscured聽by furniture, rugs or curtains to聽ensure proper air circulation.

Closing vents when you leave the room聽may seem smart聽to聽save money, but it can also聽cause uneven air distribution,聽adding strain聽on your system and—counterproductively—driving utility costs UP.聽Keep at least 80% of your registers open聽to聽keep airflow well-balanced.

4.聽Seal Any Leaks in the Ductwork

Leaking聽air ducts聽let heating and cooling escape,聽contributing to聽higher energy聽costs.聽Despite the name, duct tape is聽a poor solution聽for sealing聽up air聽ducts. For聽a lasting seal,聽call an Expert聽to properly聽seal聽your聽ductwork. The聽support from local comfort professionals聽will聽reduce heating costs,聽enhance your sense of comfort聽and even聽boost indoor air quality.

5.聽Ensure Your Home Is Safe from聽Heating-Related Fires

The gas furnace聽is a聽leading cause of聽home fires.聽Stick to聽these聽recommendations聽to聽keep your family safe:

Store flammable materials far聽from聽heating equipment,聽particularly聽space heaters, fireplaces, furnaces and聽other gas appliances.
Never leave a running space heater unattended.
In the same vein,聽avoid using extension cords for space heaters.
When your furnace makes odd sounds or has unusual smells,聽shut it down聽and聽contact a heating Expert.

6.聽Examine聽the Furnace聽Flue

A blocked聽flue pipe can聽cause dangerous backdrafting,聽raising聽the risk of聽carbon monoxide聽poisoning. Before聽turning on the heat聽this fall,聽check the flue vent聽outside to ensure it’s聽unobstructed. If the flue聽is blocked,聽call a professional聽for help.

7.聽Maintain Clear Space Around Your Furnace

Your furnace聽requires聽ample room around where it's installed聽to聽avoid the risk of problems.聽Don't store any belongings聽within聽10 to 15 feet of the unit. If your聽utility closet聽is聽too small,聽keep it empty聽apart from the HVAC equipment.聽Place flammable materials聽like paint, cleaning supplies and aerosol sprays聽far聽from聽your聽furnace.

8.聽Ensure Smoke, Carbon Monoxide Alarms Work

These聽crucial聽safety devices聽notify the household聽of聽dangers聽like a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.聽Check them once a month聽to聽ensure they're working correctly, and聽check/replace the batteries every year. Only聽take out the batteries聽if you’re聽intending to switch them out right away.

9.聽Keep up with聽HVAC Maintenance with an Expert

While聽it's possible聽to聽take care of聽some simpler聽fall HVAC maintenance tasks聽by yourself,聽an experienced maintenance technician聽can聽complete full inspections,聽clean key components聽and other聽tune-up聽tasks. Industry experts聽suggest聽professional聽AC maintenance聽every spring and聽furnace maintenance聽at the start of fall.

Annual聽HVAC maintenance聽keeps energy costs in check聽and聽ensures smooth day-to-day operation. The聽opportunity聽to聽identify potential concerns聽before they聽wreak havoc聽also聽reduces the risk of聽emergency repairs.

10.聽Prioritize Energy Efficiency When聽Replacing聽Your Furnace

Once your heating聽passes the 10-year mark, it聽is likely聽60% as efficient and聽approaching the end of its service life.聽Instead of聽allowing聽total system failure,聽think about upgrading it. A new, high-efficiency furnace is聽up to 97% efficient when converting fuel to heat, providing聽immediate energy savings聽and聽total comfort聽for聽years to come.

Make Sure Your Furnace Is聽Prepped聽for Fall and聽Contact聽黑料社区 today

If you聽prefer letting the professionals handle聽the items on this fall HVAC maintenance checklist, 黑料社区聽is ready to serve you. We聽are committed to providing聽fast,聽affordable solutions聽for all your聽comfort聽concerns. To聽set up a maintenance call, please聽contact us听迟辞诲补测.