With colder weather coming, your heating system will work overtime to keep your house warm. To prevent a call to a heating professional during peak season, take a look at your furnace and perform preventative maintenance now. Here are 5 helpful tips to keep your Raleigh furnace healthy.
- Replace Air Filters — The professionals at Cool Change Heating and Air are big advocates of this tip – year round! It only makes sense that it will be harder to push warm air through a dirty air filter as opposed to a clean one free of debris. Change your filters today and help improve the quality of the air you breathe and the efficiency of your furnace output. Click here for more on air filters.
- Inspect Fanbelt — The furnace’s fanbelts wear down and loosen over time, so check them occasionally and make replacements as needed. These are essential in moving the blower. If one is loose, you can sometimes tighten it by loosening its bracket. Otherwise, you will need to put a new fanbelt in.
- Keep vents clean — Though not a part of your Raleigh furnace itself, the vents help to move the hot air it produces through the rest of the house. If the vents are filled with dirt and debris, your rooms will fail to warm. Use a vacuum cleaner or duster occasionally to get dust out. If you have a lot of vents or a very large home, you can have them professionally cleaned for about $330. Otherwise, your furnace will work harder to warm your rooms, which increases your gas bill.
- Use a Humidifier — You want to control the humidity in your home. Once you have cleaned your air and it is warm and cozy, it is still dry. A humidifier may be the answer but too much moisture in the air can lead to rot, mold spores, and condensation. HVAC professionals suggest the indoor optimal humidity rate be maintained between 40% and 55%. Purchase a quality hygrometer to monitor indoor humidity and only use a humidifier when you need to. This means when the heater or furnace is on. Do keep room doors open to prevent condensation.
- Regular system checkups by a professional — If you don’t perform regular maintenance on your car, eventually it will break down. Your furnace is the same way. A regular inspection by the professionals at Cool Change Heating and Air will make sure your Raleigh furnace runs at its best, keeping you warm and comfortable all year long.
