There’s a fine line between when the temperature in your home is OK without the heater on and when you’re shivering. When the temperature drops really low for that first night of the cool season, it’s very tempting to turn on your heater without giving it a second thought.
But, there are some steps you should take before you do kick up the heat for the first time. After all, the heating unit has been sitting idle for quite a while.
Here are a few best practices for pre-usage winter heater maintenance.
Change Your Air Filter
One of the easiest and often neglected methods of getting the most out of your heater, both in terms of efficiency and lifespan, is to make sure you are using an air filter that’s not completely clogged. Depending on whether you have pets, allergies, or both, you probably should have been changing it every month or so anyway.
Consider Having it Professionally Cleaned
While you don’t really see something like a heater in action, there is still a lot happening behind the scenes. You really should clean it at least once each year, and doing so before you run it hard for the whole winter is a great idea.
If you are not comfortable with the inner workings of your home’s heating unit, you can get an experienced tech to give is a thorough cleaning. Think about it like the annual inspection you have done for your car.
Clean Your Vents
Your home heating systems consists of more than just the heating unit itself. There are also the ducts, the thermostat, and the vents.
If you have vents that are blocked they won’t be able to push out the hot air your heater is producing. It can actually make your heater overwork and therefore overheat.
Keep them clean an open.
Upgrade Your Thermostat
Chances are you still have an older manually-operated thermostat. Since it’s the one piece of equipment that controls how your entire heater functions, it’s pretty important.
A basic budget thermostat can actually cause your heating system to run very inefficiently. However, they aren’t the only option anymore.
Several companies like Nest have developed smart thermostats that are much more efficient. They make it simple to set certain temperatures for different times of the day, meaning that when no one is home or if you prefer it cooler at night when you’re under the covers, you can have it automatically lower the temperature, thus saving you money.
These smart devices will even learn your preferences and make the appropriate changes automatically.
Give Everything a Test Run
Once you have done all of the above, you will want to give the entire heating system a test run before the cold weather hits. It might be a little uncomfortable for a few hours, but you can just turn it on, turn up the temperature, and go out for a few hours. If you come back to a nice warm house, and you don’t smell anything strange or hear anything you shouldn’t, all is well.
If there’s a problem, it’s better to know ahead of time so you can get a professional A.S.A.P.
In Summary
Your heater is a very important part of your home. It keeps your family comfortable and safe from the freezing Minnesota winter. That’s why it’s incredibly important to make sure it’s in proper functioning condition before you actually need to turn it on.
