We want you and your family to be worry free over the winter holiday season. Here are some home maintenance tips to keep you trouble free this season. …
Read MoreThat was summer!!???
Yea, that was summer, if anyone living in Edmonton can believe it. Days of rain and weeds. At ProSolutions weโre like you – hoping for a few tomatoes and veg. Itโs too wet for a picnic, and what happened to the sun?
Seasons are changing. Kids back in school. Hockey, indoor soccer, night classes all starting.ย And weโre thinking of winter, which is why weโve written this brief article so that Edmonton homeowners like you can avoid costly furnace maintenance and repair.
At ProSolutions our job is to keep you warm over the winter, make sure that furnace of yours does its job – and not have you calling us on a frigid January morning because somethingโs gone wrong. Happily, thatโs rare, but itโs still better to make sure it doesnโt happen, so…
Here are 7 Tips to Get Your Furnace Ready for Winter
We’ve put together a list of 7 major & minor preventative furnace maintenance areas that you should handle each year as the season begins to change.
1. Make sure your furnace ducts are clean
The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (bet you didnโt know it existed) recommends that your furnace and ducts should be cleaned every three to five years. In Edmonton, with all the dust generated by construction, ProSolutions and many duct cleaning companies recommend every 2-3 years.ย
If you havenโt had those furnace ducts cleaned out in the last 2-3 years, hereโs why you should:
- Excessive dust on the furnace filter, or from hot air vents tells us thereโs too much dust making it harder for your furnace to push air throughout your house. It could be because the furnace ducts havenโt been cleaned recently, or youโve moved into a house thatโs gone through construction, or maybe youโve done some renovating yourself, and thatโs caused the problem.
- Signs of insects, or mice or their droppings in furnace ducts? Not only can you get nasty odours in the house, but there are also health risks with mice, such as that deadly hantavirus.
- Mould in furnace ducts can be a health issue. Where itโs particularly dangerous is for family members with allergies or asthma.
- Your favourite pet. Thatโs right. Your cat and your dog, especially those that shed, add dander into the air and then into your furnace filter and ducts. It can also cause reactions in those with allergies and asthma.
2. Check that furnace filter
There are so many different furnace filters to choose from. The more efficient ones take more particles from the air. As a result, they must be changed more often.
So…How often should you change your furnace filter?
Rule of thumb. Change the furnace filter every three months. However conditions vary by location, amount of dust in the air, pets, any construction by your home or renovation in it, smokers, etc,. The smart answer? Examine that filter once a month. If dust build-up is excessive, change it.
Hereโs another point. Some furnace filters are specially designed to keep out health impacting allergens. However, that design can mean reduced airflow, lowering furnace efficiency.
Since the furnace has usually been forgotten and ignored over the summer months, at ProSolutions, we recommend that you install a new filter at the beginning of fall, and if required,ย have the ducts cleaned.
3. Inspect important furnace components & systems for efficient winter operation
The Chimney
So easy to ignore, your chimney ventilates dangerous gases from the house. Is it safely sealed? Are carbon monoxide detectors working? At ProSolutions we test everything to make sure.ย
The Thermostat
Some things you can do yourself. For example, replacing batteries. If itโs something else and youโre not sure you know what to do, let ProSolutions do it for you. You really donโt need mistakes.
Pre Winter Tune-Up
We recommend that this is completed by an HVAC technician who will clean & identify areas of wear & tear. A tune-up is designed to be preventative. Much like a dentist or mechanic taking the time to inspect for future breakdown a Tune-up will help you plan for the future and save a potential breakdown in the dead of winter.
4. Keep Your Costs Down
Your furnace, running at high efficiency, can save you around 10% on your heating bill. Those savings mount up with heavy winter demand. By completing all the suggested furnace maintenance, ProSolutions can help you achieve those savings.
5. Add your furnace maintenance to your fall โto-doโ list
Youโve gotten the kids back in school with all the demanded clothes and school supplies. Youโve cleaned up the garden following summer activities. Things you wonโt need until next year youโve put away. Donโt forget the furnace that keeps you warm through to next spring.
At Pro Solutions weโre ready to help. General furnace maintenance, duct cleaning, or even replacing your furnace, thatโs what we do. Weโre here for advice. Want to chat, we can do that. 1 Call Solves It All.