We aren’t saying you need to go out and replace your furnace today (although if it’s more than 10 – 15 years old and has been malfunctioning more frequently, it may be a good idea to replace it sooner rather than later!), but there are a few things you can do to ensure your home will be comfortable and safe for the holidays:
- Change your filters: Replace the filters in your heating system so you don’t have any indoor air quality or system breakdown worries.
- Adjust the thermostat setting: Having more people in the house and cooking can create a warmer environment, reducing the need for high heat. If you’re going out of town, keep your heat on to prevent your pipes form bursting, but lower the temperature a bit to help keep your energy costs down.
- Keep flammable objects in safe places: This one may seem obvious, but it can get hectic with kids running around and cooking in the kitchen. Be sure to keep things like blankets and wrapping paper away from heating systems (including small space heaters) to avoid fire hazards. If you’re traveling, do a quick check before leaving!
- Consider alternative methods for heating: Did you know simple things like using your ceiling fans and keeping the shades open can help keep your home warm? On your fan, find the switch located on the base and turn it so that the blades rotate the opposite way (this helps circulate warm air trapped near the ceiling downwards into the rest of the room). Keep your blinds open to let in more natural light. Both of these can give your HVAC system some help so it doesn’t have to work as hard.
- Get an HVAC inspection: A furnace, heat pump, or boiler maintenance visit can’t hurt! If you haven’t already scheduled an inspection, we recommend doing so before it gets too cold and the chaos of the holidays starts. Heating system maintenance can catch minor issues before they become major problems and give you peace of mind when you’re entertaining or traveling.
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