When the days get shorter and the nights get cooler in La Plata, MD, it’s time to start prepping your home for the winter season. One system you don’t want to forget about preparing is your heating system. Below, we’ll give you an in-depth guide on comprehensive heater maintenance to ensure your unit is ready to take on the longer winter season ahead.
Why is Maintenance Important?
There’s nothing worse than waiting for the first chilly night of the year to find out that your heating system isn’t working right. Think of fall maintenance as performing a test run to ensure your heating system is ready to operate correctly. Tune-ups go a long way in reducing your breakdown risk and can give you peace of mind about the operation of your unit.
Getting professional maintenance will ensure your heater is running as efficiently as possible. This means you can rest assured that you won’t be unnecessarily overpaying for your wintertime heating bills. Plus, our technicians will always test for toxic fume emissions when it comes to heating systems that burn fuel to guarantee no toxic fumes are backing up inside your home. Knowing that your system is operating safely can keep your family safe during the cold winter season.
When all the internal components of your heating system get the routine care they need to remain in tip-top condition, they last much longer. This can extend the overall lifespan of your heater and allow you to get the most bang for your buck. Professional maintenance is also a necessity for maintaining the warranty coverage on your unit. If you skip it, the unit’s manufacturer may deny any future repair warranty claims you submit because you can’t show proof of annual professional service.
Homeowner Maintenance
It doesn’t matter if you have a furnace or a heat pump. Both need to have their filters replaced before the winter season hits. A clean filter will ensure your heating system operates efficiently and without any unnecessary strain, like a dirty filter can cause. We highly recommend having a spare filter at your home throughout the winter, so you can easily replace it whenever necessary.
If you or another member of your family suffers from allergies, asthma, or another related respiratory illness, it can be beneficial to invest in a highly-rated air filter. The higher a filter’s rating, the more airborne allergens it can remove, which translates to fewer symptom flare-ups for you. We suggest a filter with a MERV rating between 11 and 13 for the best filtering results. Avoid filters with a rating of 14 or higher, as they’re specifically designed for more powerful industrial HVAC systems and can cause extensive damage if used in residential systems.
Vent and Condenser Checks
The vents throughout your home are the key to effectively controlling your inside temperature throughout the wintertime. You should take a few moments to examine every air vent in your home. Check to ensure they’re fully open. Avoid closing vents in rooms you don’t use often, as doing so can affect the internal pressure of your ducting and put added strain on your heating system.
If you rely on a heat pump to warm your home during those colder winter days, you’ll want to check over your outdoor condenser unit. Remove any debris that’s against the unit and trim back any shrubbery that’s within a few feet of it. If you experience strong snowstorms during the winter, you may want to consider installing a windbreak a few feet out from your condenser unit. This can stop snow buildup, so you don’t have to worry about physically going outside to remove snow buildup from around your condenser unit.
Program Your Thermostat
If you’re still relying on an outdated dial thermostat, it’s time to upgrade. At the bare minimum, a programmable thermostat can allow you to easily set a schedule for altering your home’s temperature. You can optimize your energy usage by turning the temperature down during the overnight hours when you’re sleeping and when you’re away at work. This will reduce the runtime of your heater, which means lower energy bills for you.
A great investment is a smart thermostat. This gives you all the advantages of a programmable thermostat with many other upgraded features. Smart thermostats allow you to access your thermostat from your smartphone, so you can change settings on a whim. Plus, with technologies like geofencing, your thermostat can automatically adjust your home’s temperature based on your location so you can further maximize your energy savings. Be sure to program your thermostat before the winter season hits so you can keep your wintertime energy bills in check.
Test Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors
While not exactly part of your HVAC system, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are your first line of defense against home hazards. It’s best to ensure all your detectors have fresh batteries and test each one to verify that it’s working correctly. Additionally, be sure to check the expiration date on your fire extinguisher to confirm it’s still active.
Professional Tune-Ups
We highly recommend scheduling a professional heater tune-up early in the fall season. This offers more flexible appointment scheduling than the winter months and gives you adequate time to respond to potential system problems before you need to rely on your heater every day to stay safe and warm.
Clean and Lubricate Components
One of the very first things our HVAC technicians will do is clean and lubricate the internal components of your heating system. During this process, they’ll also inspect each component for any signs of excessive wear, cracking, or other potential damage. By catching worn-out parts, like a fraying blower fan belt, we can replace them to minimize your risk of experiencing an unfortunate wintertime system breakdown.
Test and Tighten Electrical Connections
Our heater technicians will go through all the electrical components inside your unit to tighten and test them. This includes everything from simple connections to relays and even capacitors. We’ll ensure that every connection is working safely and effectively.
Test Ignition Components or Refrigerant Level
Another key step our technicians will take is to test the ignition components inside your furnace. They’ll guarantee that the burner starts up and has the right mix of fuel and air to burn safely and efficiently. Our technicians will also test your furnace for toxic fume emissions, like carbon monoxide. If you have a heat pump, we’ll check its refrigerant level and top it off as necessary to ensure your system is well-prepared to transport as much heat as possible.
Calibrate Your Thermostat
Having a thermostat that reads the true indoor temperature for your home is the key to optimizing comfort and energy efficiency. Our team of technicians will calibrate your home’s thermostat to ensure that it’s reading true.
Expert HVAC Maintenance Service
We’re here to keep your heating system running right, no matter how cold it gets outside. We can also help with all your HVAC installation, replacement, and repair needs. Call Southern Pride Service today to schedule HVAC maintenance in La Plata.
