How To Avoid Furnace Repairs?

9/6/2022

dad with his two kids playing in the living room

6 Things You Can Do Now to Avoid Calling a Furnace Repair Company This Winter

Winter feels a long way off. But there are some things you should do now to start preparing for it. After all, would you rather do a few things now or be stuck calling a heating repair company on a cold night?

To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of 6 things you can do to prevent furnace repairs this winter.

1. Open closed air vents

Contrary to popular advice, it is not a good idea to close vents in unused rooms. Rather than save energy, it can actually make your heating and air conditioning less efficient and therefore, lead to more problems with your heating and cooling in the future.

Read more in our article: Why You Shouldn’t Close Off Vents in Unused Rooms

2. Change that air filter (and keep doing it all winter)

We give this advice a lot because it’s super important, but also because many homeowners still don’t do it regularly. If you have a basic fiberglass filter, you should be changing it at least once a month. For your indoor air quality and the sake of the expensive HVAC equipment in your home, it’s important to change out your air filter at least four times a year.

Think we’re exaggerating? Check out these 2 Ways an Air Filter Can Kill Your AC and Furnace.

3. Check the thermostat battery

We occasionally get frantic calls from homeowners who don’t have heat. But once we show up at their homes, we find out it’s a simple thermostat battery problem they could have solved.

Thermostat batteries last 3-4 years. So if it’s been longer, or you’re not sure when they were changed last, now could be a good time to do it to avoid problems this winter.

4. Know how to use your thermostat

Sometimes we get calls that the furnace just won’t shut off or that it’s blowing but the air isn’t very warm. But there may be no problem at all. The culprit may be that the thermostat fan setting is set to “on.”

That’s why it’s important for you to learn how to use your thermostat. Here’s the difference between that “on” and “auto” fan setting:

On – The fan is always running. Even if the furnace isn’t heating at the moment, the fan will still be blowing air through your vents.
Auto – The furnace fan only turns on when your furnace is heating the air. When the furnace shuts off, so does the fan.

5. Turn it on now

Your furnace hasn’t been on in months. A great way to make sure that your HVAC systems are running correctly is to turn it on now (or very soon) to test it out. That way, if you do have a problem, you can spot it now before cold weather arrives.

6. Schedule your annual maintenance visit

If you’re a Service Legends Club Member, you should schedule your yearly heating tune-up now. By scheduling now, you’re more likely to get the time and date that works best for you.

If you’re not yet a maintenance member, consider scheduling a furnace tune-up to prevent furnace breakdowns this winter. Our home services in Des Moines are legendary – give us a call today.

515-657-6634 Request Appointment Online

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