Residing here in Delaware County, having a furnace that doesn’t seem capable of keeping up with the cold can be seriously challenging during the frigid months of winter, especially through the holidays.
Take comfort, however, in learning there are methods to keep your unit healthy and running strong when the weather is frigid.
We at Lewis Center-Powell Heating & Air will investigate some of these ways in this week’s blog post.
When To Turn Thermostat Down
When you are away from home, or you’re on vacation, and you’re not using your furnace, often it’s a good idea to turn it off. It will save you money on your heating bill. With that being said, we do not suggest turning it off altogether. When leaving your furnace off entirely during the winter, it’s much more difficult to get it back up and going again, and this is tough on your furnace. And then there are your pipes! We strongly suggest you leave on at least a little heat to save you from the unfortunate event of freezing and damaged pipes. The customary rule of thumb or “temperature alert threshold” for freezing pipes is at least 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Clean Out Your Furnace and Give it Space
Maintaining a minimal five-foot perimeter of space around your furnace is a must. We strongly recommend you live by this precaution because your furnace has a fire within it, which is how it keeps your house heated! So please keep that area outside of it clear and remember, just because the exterior of your furnace seems clean does not imply that the inside is clean. When you’ve had your furnace shut off for months, there’s a good possibility that it’s dusty in there. Therefore, this is another reason you should have a professional take a look before turning it on for the winter.
Lack of Maintenance
The best way to ensure your furnace stays healthy and running for a long time is to give it proper maintenance. Annual furnace tune-ups are a necessity. When we perform these tune-ups, we go over an entire list of things that are supposed to be checked, cleaned, and taken care of regularly. We check the system’s voltage, the pipes, and we check your filter to make sure it’s clean for the approaching season. We do a lot of things.
Could Your Furnace Be Too Small?
If a unit is undersized, it can exhaust itself. So, in addition to failing to produce sufficient heat to keep you warm, it can also break down faster. The most straightforward means of determining if your unit is too small is to turn up your thermostat and see how long it takes to reach the desired temperature.
Could Your Unit Be Too Big
While having a unit that’s too small is bad, having a unit that’s too big isn’t a good thing either. A larger furnace tends to overwork itself concerning your level of comfort. The most obvious sign that it’s too big is when your house tends to get hotter than the temperature you desire. It can also mess with the ductwork from the unit going into the home.
Keep Your Vents Clear
This sort of goes along with maintaining a clean and clear unit. To make sure your furnace can keep up with the cold, you must make sure there aren’t things on your vents. When vents get blocked in any way, it can impact your furnace’s performance. Your furnace needs to breathe, and it needs to be able to circulate warm air unhindered. If not, it could shut off completely.
If you continue to have any issues with your furnace this winter season, please call Lewis Center-Powell Heating & Air today at 614-490-7530, or schedule an appointment online now at www.lewiscenterpowellheatingandair.com/schedule-now/.
