Can you believe that the cool days of winter are just around the corner? While many people think about Virginia as a hot, humid state, Sterling actually gets quite cold in winter. It’s important to have a working furnace as the temperatures begin to drop, and in this post, we’ll provide you with a few things you can do to get your furnace prepared for the upcoming season.
As you’ll read in more detail below, contacting a furnace repair professional is the best way to ensure that your furnace works properly throughout fall and winter. Contact Quality Air Experts if you would like to schedule a service appointment, and read on for a few easy ways to get your furnace ready for the weeks and months ahead!
Remove Stored Items
Did you place anything in front of or around your furnace after you turned it off last spring? While we recommend that you never store flammable items near your furnace, we understand that many people need to do so in order to conserve space. If you did store any items near the furnace, make sure that they’re far away from it when you proceed to the third step.
Change the Filter
Your furnace’s air filter is designed to trap dust, dirt, hair, dander, and other contaminants before they make their way into your ventilation system and spread throughout your home. Your filter should be changed roughly every three months, depending on whether or not you have animals and allergy- or asthma-prone individuals in your home. If you do, check the filter every two months instead.
Tip: Furnace filters can add up, so consider buying them in bulk!
Check Your Vents
Did you do any rearranging over the summer? With many of us at home more than usual or working from home during the day, it’s no surprise that people across the country have rearranged from top to bottom. As you enjoy your new decor arrangements, be sure to check that you haven’t put anything in front of a vent.
Turn It On
It sounds obvious, but taking your furnace for a test drive is one of the most important things you can do before the season begins. Many people find themselves needing furnace repair right when the season starts up and, as you might expect, this can lead to long wait times and chilly evenings without heat.
Start the unit and listen for anything that sounds off or out of the ordinary. It’s not all that common, but internal components do wear out and break down from season to season. You will likely hear screeching, banging, clanging, and other unpleasant noises if something has gone wrong since the end of last winter. If everything sounds normal, let the unit run long enough to make sure that it isn’t emitting odd smells, either.
If you do notice odd smells, strange noises, or anything else that doesn’t seem right, turn the furnace off and call a furnace maintenance professional to handle the rest.
Schedule Furnace Maintenance
If all of this sounds like a lot of work that you don’t have time for, you can always contact a member of Quality Air Experts. We perform a number of furnace repair and maintenance services that can help you feel confident in your heater’s performance this winter.
We take pride in offering affordable rates and exceptional service on every job we perform, and we’re always happy to help you find a solution that meets your needs without exceeding your budget.
Give us a call or fill out our online contact form to get started.
We look forward to working with you!