12 Easy Hacks To Repair Your Furnace Before The Winter Comes
Autumn has just set in and before you know it, winter will be right around the corner.
Cold mornings and even colder nights will require an extra layer of clothing and, of course, a warm home.
So before winter knocks on your front door, make sure you're prepared for it.
If you want to enjoy a warm winter, then you should take a look at maintaining your HVAC system and make sure that it works at an optimal level.
Here Are Some Furnace Energy-Saving Tricks And Maintenance Tricks
1. Change the filter of your furnace
Some people say the furnace filter should be changed seasonally, and some say monthly.
However, the life span of a filter varies depending on how much the HVAC system is used, and in which conditions.
If you leave a clogged filter behind, the furnace will work twice as hard to achieve what it could with the same filter, only clean.
Make sure to improve the efficiency of your furnace by putting less strain on it and cleaning and changing your filter as often as possible.
2. Install a smart thermostat
This is a much more sensitive version and will do you a lot of good.
It will keep the space at the temperature you need.
You can even calibrate your thermostat to a lower degree once everyone in the household has gone to bed.
You can set up a system where the temperature would not fluctuate more than five degrees during the day and night.
All you need to do is make sure that the fluctuations are not that big since this might end up being a larger cost than saving.
3. Clean all air vents
Whether it is an air vent or a return vent, you need to make sure they are not blocked by any piece of furniture.
This is how you will ensure there is a flow of warm air throughout the home.
If there is a part of the home that you do not use, think about closing the air vents there.
After all, there is no need to warm up some rooms that you are not using, right?
4. Eliminate the draft
If you have any leaky windows or doors or even some keyholes and letterboxes, this means that you leave out some space for the warm air to escape and be replaced with cold air.
Make sure to install some strips that can prevent this from happening.
Double-paneled windows are excellent for insulating the space, however, if this upgrade is not on your list, then you can consider adding weather-proof plastic over the window so you can protect yourself during the winter months.
5. Include the ceiling fans
Ceiling fans can provide a lot of cool aid during the summer, but in the winter, they can be used too.
If you adjust the blades to do a clockwise rotation and turn on the ceiling fan on low, the fan will gently push down the warm air into the space.
6. Limit the use of your exhaust fan
Exhaust fans in the bathrooms and the ones installed above the kitchen stoves, manage to pull all the hot air away from the home.
If you constantly leave your exhaust fans running, that means you are letting go of all the hot air that circulates within the home.
This can potentially lead to a higher electricity bill yet a lower temperature level.
7. Get a humidifier
The furnace can dry out the air.
However, humid air holds more heat than dry air.
This is a technique that can make you feel a lot warmer. Whenever there is a little humidity in the air, most people tend to feel warm, cozy, and comfortable.
This would not be the case if the air was completely dry.
8. Take a look at your chimney
The safest way to do this is before the first snow falls.
After that, it would not be an access point for you, and you might even put yourself in danger.
This is why you need to make sure that the shaft is clean before the winter and make sure the chimney is closed so that hot air does not go outside.
9. Fortify the entire house
What we mean by this is checking the inner, outer, lower, and upper portions of the home.
Anything from a basement to a garage, to an attic, can be an issue during the winter months if it is not properly closed.
These are the areas where you can find most of your pipes, so you need to make sure that they are sealed too.
Also, keep the garage door closed whenever you are heating your home.
Even though the heat may not flow right into the garage, it creates a larger space that needs to be heated.
This leads to wasting more energy on heating a space that you don’t need.
10. Wrap your water heater
If the outside of your water heater starts to feel warm to the touch, then it means it is losing its heat.
The best approach here is to wrap up the heater in a blanket.
However, before you go on fixing the issue with a blanket, make sure to check the manual for the heater and call a professional to access the situation.
11. Dress up the windows
The curtains and blinds can do so much more than just look pretty on a window.
They are the extra layer of insulation that your home needs.
All you need to do on those sunny days is to open up the blinds and let the free warmth enter the home.
And at night, close the blinds and the shades so you can prevent any hot air from leaving.
12. Schedule your HVAC tune-up on time
You should schedule your annual tune-up and make sure that your HVAC system is working at an optimal level during autumn, so that come winter, you will be prepared.
Get a professional to take a look at the furnace and let you know everything that needs changing.
This is how you will get a step ahead of the situation and ensure a warm and cozy winter for yourself and your family.
If you have any questions about our article "12 Easy Hacks To Repair Your Furnace Before The Winter Comes" or energy efficient system upgrades, feel free to call us at 416-543-0641 or chat with us in near real-time on our Facebook fan page.
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