When the cold winter weather settles in, many nights in Cheyenne will drop to subzero temperatures. This can take a real toll on your heating system. Fortunately, there are many steps that you can take to give your furnace the best chance of making it through the cold winter season without a hitch.
Schedule Maintenance Service
One of the best things that you can do to prepare your heating system for wintertime is to schedule professional maintenance service. This service will include things like lubricating moving parts, testing electrical connections, cleaning internal system components, testing for carbon monoxide, and even calibrating your thermostat. Maintenance service is great for catching potential problems with your equipment and for ensuring that your system is operating at its most efficient level.
Seal Up Air Leaks
Air leaks can develop on your exterior walls over the years. Every leak that develops will allow cold outside air to seep into your home. This will require your heating system to continually run to combat that cold air. Fortunately, you can easily seal up those air leaks with caulking, weatherstripping, spray foam, and so forth. Ideally, you want to seal off any locations on your exterior walls that have air coming into them, especially around window and door frames.
Evaluate Your Insulation
The insulation that your home has is a necessary barrier between the hot indoor air and the cold outdoor air. Your municipality will have a specific minimum R-value that its building code requires, and you’ll want to ensure that your existing insulation either meets or exceeds that value. Be certain to examine your insulation at the start of every winter season to see if there are any gaps that need to be filled in. Furthermore, if your insulation sinks below the top of the floor joists, then be sure to fill the insulation back up to sit just proud of the joists.
Get an Extra Furnace Filter
The filter in your furnace plays a big role in its overall operating efficiency. When the filter is in good working condition, it will help to trap airborne particles from entering the internals of your furnace. However, when the filter nears the end of its usable life span, it will be so full of airborne particles that it will restrict the efficiency of your heating system. It’s typically best to check your furnace filter at least once a month and replace it when necessary. Always opt for having a spare filter ready to go.
Invest in Duct Cleaning and Sealing Services
The ductwork in your home can have a significant impact on the overall functionality of your heating system. When your ducting is full of debris, it will restrict airflow and make your heating system work harder to deliver warm air throughout your home.
If your ductwork develops gaps and leaks, it can allow your hot air to escape into your walls instead of into your rooms. Duct cleaning and sealing services every few years will help to ensure that your ducting is effectively delivering warm air instead of diverting it.
Invest in a Smart Thermostat
One helpful tip to ensure that your heating system doesn’t spend all day overworking is to invest in a smart thermostat. This type of thermostat can allow you to program in different temperature settings based on the time of day and the particular day of the week. This way, your thermostat can be at a lower temperature when no one is home. That will allow your heating system to run less often, extend its overall life span, and save you money on your annual heating bills.
Run Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are the secret sauce to any efficient home. By running fans in reverse during the winter season, they can circulate hot air stuck up near your ceilings back down to the floor. By reusing warm air, you don’t have to constantly rely on your heating system to produce more. The best part is that you will still be completely comfortable in your home.
Expert Furnace Maintenance Service
Advanced Comfort Solutions offers expert furnace maintenance service for the entire Cheyenne, WY community. We can assist with all your heating, air conditioning, indoor air quality, heat pump, sheet metal fabrication, and refrigeration needs. Contact us today to book your next service consultation.
