No matter the weather outside, it seems that winter is never far away when you live in Northeastern Ontario. That’s why clever homeowners use the warmer months to ensure they’re prepared to ride out the cold in style. At The Original Flame, we take pride in helping our fellow Ontarians stay comfortable and save money throughout the year. To that end, we’ve identified the priorities and essential tasks you need to know about furnace maintenance before the first flakes fly.
Focus Your Energy
Getting ready for winter doesn’t have to be a major ordeal. In fact, preparing for the cold can be a breeze if you know where to focus your efforts. Your specific needs may change, but we recommend prioritizing a few simple things:
- Complete a basic furnace maintenance checklist
- Purchase fuel and other necessities before prices soar
- Consider whether it’s time to make an upgrade
Put Your Thermostat to the Test
At the risk of stating the obvious, your furnace won’t do much good if it doesn’t turn on when you need it. To make sure you’re ready for winter, we recommend performing a quick thermostat test. It’s as simple as setting your thermostat to heating mode and cranking the setpoint up a few degrees above the current room temperature. It’s best to perform this test on a cooler day or later in the evening.
If your heater kicks on within a minute or so, your thermostat is good to go. If it doesn’t, check to see if your system has tripped its circuit breaker. Failing that, it’s likely time to schedule a furnace repair near me. A professional HVAC technician can check all of your furnace’s key components and quickly make any necessary repairs.
Refresh Your Air Filters
Did you know that indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air? Poor indoor air quality is a serious hazard, but effective filtration can help keep you and your family protected. To keep airborne particulates in check, your furnace should incorporate one or more air filters. These can typically be found either in the system itself or behind a vent grill in your home.
Unfortunately, these filters can become dirty and clogged as they remove particulates from the air. Soiled air filters restrict airflow, hampering your furnace’s heating ability and increasing utility costs. Before winter blows in, you’ll need to make sure your filters are clean and ready to perform.
If your furnace has disposable filters, simply remove them and install fresh filters of the same type. Alternatively, some furnaces feature one or more reusable air filters. These types of filters aren’t meant to be replaced, but you can still ensure improved performance by washing them thoroughly.
It’s also important to remember that this is not a one-time task. To keep your furnace in optimal condition, it’s a good idea to wash or replace filters as soon as they become soiled. This typically means visually inspecting them every month and cleaning them at least once every three months.
Fill It Up
If you’re like most Northeastern Ontario homeowners, you’ll need plenty of fuel to make it through the winter. Unfortunately, propane, oil, and sometimes even natural gas prices tend to rise during the colder months as demand increases. That’s why we recommend scheduling a fuel refill or top-up when prices are lower.
Topping off your fuel in advance also ensures that you won’t be caught unprepared by an early cold spell. Additionally, it’s a good opportunity to have your fuel lines inspected for safety. This kind of proactive service is key to keeping your furnace working safely and efficiently.
Schedule a Furnace Maintenance Service Visit
It’s hard to overstate the crucial importance of proper furnace maintenance. Providing cozy heat throughout a long, harsh winter can put a lot of stress on your equipment. Components can wear down quickly, compromising your furnace’s performance and potentially even causing a breakdown.
Routine furnace service visits offer protection against this kind of wear and tear. A tune-up allows professional technicians to closely inspect your system, make preventive repairs, and perform a range of adjustments and calibrations. The result is a more efficient, reliable, long-lasting furnace that’s ready to handle even the harshest winter.
At The Original Flame, our top priority is always to deliver affordable and reliable comfort to our customers. That’s why we take routine maintenance so seriously. Our skilled technicians have the expertise and training to keep any furnace system operating in peak condition.
Install a High-Efficiency Gas Furnace
Of course, not every issue can be solved by adjusting burners and lubricating fan bearings. If your existing heating system has seen better days, installing a new furnace may be the best way to winter-proof your home. It’s a big decision, but our knowledgeable experts are always here to help you make the right choice.
As a general rule, it’s worth thinking about a replacement for any furnace that’s more than 15 years old. As furnaces age, they become increasingly likely to break down and require more frequent or costly repairs. Proactively replacing your older furnace can help you avoid this fate, saving a lot of time, money, and frustration. This is especially true if your furnace has already started experiencing malfunctions.
Additionally, swapping out an obsolete model can save some serious cash on your monthly utility bills. When installed properly, high-efficiency natural gas furnaces can slash your home’s energy consumption for years to come. To deliver the best results possible, we carry premium brands and conduct detailed calculations to ensure your new furnace installation is the perfect fit for your home.
A heating failure in the depths of winter can quickly turn into a serious problem. Instead of frantically searching for HVAC services near me as frigid weather invades your home, do yourself a favour and make sure you’re prepared. With the friendly specialists at The Original Flame on your side, you’ll be ready for whatever the winter season brings.
Learn more about your local furnace repair experts. We’re here to help you with your Furnace needs, including sales, installation, maintenance, repair, and more. Schedule an appointment with us today.
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