Five Ways to Prepare Your Heating System for Fall and Winter

Posted: October 4, 2018

Do you like to overwork? Neither do we. You know what else doesn’t like to overwork?

Your heating system.

In fact, just about any problem you can have with the propane heating system (or any other propane appliance in your North Carolina home) can most likely ultimately be traced back to having to work too hard to do its job.

Here are five ways to prevent overwork in your heating system and keep it prepared for the challenges of the fall and winter ahead.

1. Freshen your filters – Clogged air filters block airflow in your heating system, which means higher bills and more repairs. Get your heating season off on the right foot by changing the filter on your furnace, then check it every month or so to make sure it’s still free and clear (you’ll probably only have to clean or replace it every three months, but it’s best to check more often).
2. Lower the thermostat – Lower temperatures mean less work for your heating system. It also means lower bills: did you know that you could save about two percent on your bill for every degree you drop the thermostat temperature? That may not seem like much, but it adds up over time – and it’s easy to do with a programmable thermostat (if you don’t have one, get one – used correctly, it will pay for itself in the first year you own it).
3. Unblock heating vents and free up baseboards – By keeping your heating vents, baseboards and radiators unobstructed, you avoid overtaxing your furnace or boiler – and potentially even overheating your system.
4. Seal air leaks – The average American home leaks air equivalent to the size of an open window through cracks around windows and doors and through its ceilings and walls; as you can imagine, that adds quite a bit to the workload for your heating system. Inexpensive measures like applying weather stripping, caulk, and door sweeps will go a long way to reducing your home’s heating load. Consider adding insulation to your home, too – especially in the attic and between conditioned and unconditioned spaces (under a floor that sits above an unfinished basement for example).
5. Get routine annual service – Preventative maintenance is the key to keeping overwork under control. You may be tempted to skip annual heating system maintenance – especially if you have newer equipment – but that could be a costly mistake: not only will you put unnecessary wear and tear on your heating system, but you may even put your manufacturer’s warrantee at risk.

Keep heating system overwork under control this fall and winter – contact us today to learn even more ways to protect you heating system investment!