Regular heater maintenance throughout the year can spell the difference between cold and comfort, not to mention an unwelcome repair bill! Whether you’ve got a gas furnace, an oil burner, or some other type of heating system, it’s important to ensure everything is working well before winter weather sets in. Here’s how you can keep your home’s climate control system maintained and working.
Get an Early Start on Your Heater Maintenance
It’s never too early to give your home heater a once-over. In fact, the earlier the better. Regular maintenance is key in catching small problems early before they balloon into bigger and more expensive ones, so don’t wait until winter weather is on the horizon before seeing if your HVAC needs any TLC.
Start With a Visual Inspection
Sometimes it turns out that what you see is what you get. As you venture down into your basement or utility room, take a good look at your heating system’s components. Check for loose or bent venting pipes, drainage tubes, or anything else that looks odd. Check for any visible leaks. Also, if you’ve got a gas-powered system, a telltale rotten egg odor can indicate a split line somewhere.
Clean Dirt and Debris
It’s not quite as glamorous as dusting your china cabinet, but it’s arguably more important: clear any dirt, dust, and debris you find settled on or around your heating system. Loosen any detritus with a soft-tipped paintbrush so you don’t run the risk of damaging any small parts, and then use a handheld vacuum (or a hose attachment) to clean everything up.
Make Sure Your Thermostat Wiring is Intact
Your heater won’t turn on or off properly if there’s something wrong with its connection to your thermostat. Turn off the power to your heater (this is important!) and give its thermostat wiring a firm but gentle tug to ensure everything’s connected properly. If not, you may need to call an electrician to reconnect them unless you’re comfortable doing it yourself.
Check (and Change) Your Air Filter
Finally, if you do nothing else, always see if your air filter needs replacing. Making sure your heating system’s air filter isn’t ready for a change is one of the biggest steps you can take to keep your HVAC system running smoothly. Not only will this extend the lifespan of your system, it will make it more cost-efficient as well!
Rely on the Experts for Heater Maintenance
Do you feel uncomfortable doing any of these tasks yourself? Does the thought of crawling around in the dirt and the dust make you want to crawl under the covers? Don’t worry — in this case, it’s best to leave your heater maintenance needs to the professionals. You can schedule a service call with your local HVAC repair provider and have the experts come out to take a look at your system and figure out what type of maintenance or repair it might need. You’ll get a free estimate that will show you exactly what will be needed to keep your heating system working like a charm.
