The Importance of Pre-Season Heater Checks
– By #Me
The frosty days of winter are right around the corner, which means your heating system will once again be put to the test after six months of standing idle. Although it has not been in use, there are still precautions you should take before starting up your heater for the first time to ensure it will safely and efficiently keep your family warm for another season. Continue reading to learn why being proactive in your home’s HVAC maintenance is critical to your family’s health, will help you save money and prevent emergency repairs down the road.
Keep Your Family Safe
Unmaintained heating systems can cause you and your family to become sick more often, and even worse, leave you vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning. Also, since windows tend to be shut during the colder months, dirt and debris from dirty air filters can continually cycle throughout your home, aggravating allergies and triggering asthma attacks. With a heater check, you can rest assured that your HVAC system will operate safely all winter long.
Reduce Energy Consumption
With the EPA estimating that about half of the energy used in a home goes to heating and cooling, making sure your heating system runs as efficiently as possible will make a big difference on your family’s utility bills. Dirty filters are one cause of heater inefficiency, as they will make your heater work harder to distribute air. During a maintenance check, your system’s air filters will be changed and other efficiency issues identified so you can be proactive in lowering your home’s energy use.
Prolong the Life of your Heater
Heaters lose approximately 5% of their effectiveness each year they go unmaintained, which can quickly add up to a short life and money spent on a replacement. Preventing extra wear and tear on your system is as easy as ensuring it is running properly and that things like the air filter are changed when they need to be.
Prevent Costly Repairs Down the Road
Emergency repairs are expensive and tend to put your life on hold. With regular pre-season maintenance checks, small issues can be identified before they become large problems, lessening your chances that you have to deal with a pricey disaster.
What You Can Do
There are some simple things you can do to maintain your heating systems between checks, such as:
- Keep your heater unobstructed. Furniture and other objects blocking your heating unit will prevent air from flowing as freely, resulting in your system working harder.
- Change air filters regularly. Air filters should be changed at least every two to three months, more often if you have pets or people with allergies or asthma in your home.
- Maintain a reasonable temperature setting. Cranking up the heat makes your system work harder, resulting in increased wear and tear on your system.
- Eliminate the headache of HVAC care with a convenient and affordable maintenance agreement through Action Mechanical. As part of the agreement, we’ll come out four times a year to perform preventative maintenance, which includes a fall heater system check.
Let us help you keep your family snug this winter by calling us at 605-519-2841 to schedule a pre-season heater check today!
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