Winter Heater Preparations by Inspec Homes Home Inspectors

So your home repair list didn’t get completed again this summer. Instead of lamenting the list and beating yourself up why not just go another route? Move on and concentrate on important items to be completed in preparation for winter.

Furnaces are real workhorses throughout the winter months and home owners should make it a point to have an annual heating system inspection and service visit from a professional heating contractor. Scheduling early allows you to have any issues repaired or your furnace replaced before the worst of the winter weather arrives. But if you have not already scheduled your maintenance visit don’t procrastinate. A poorly operating or faulty furnace can lead to safety issues in the home from carbon dioxide build up or costly problems such as frozen and burst water pipes if the heating system fails. As well, consider that an emergency off hours visit from a service technician in the middle of the night or on a weekend will prove much more costly than a scheduled maintenance visit.

Most furnace tune-ups include inspection of all safety controls, piping, parts cleaning and replacement of filters. Regular heating system maintenance not only improves performance and efficiency but will extend the life of this important piece of equipment in your home.

Consider a programmable thermostat for additional energy costs savings. By installing and properly programming the thermostat, energy savings can be achieved. The greater the difference between the outside air and the inside air, the more heat escapes. By programming the thermostat to lower the temperature at night or when you are away from the home for at least four hours, you will lose less heat since you are reducing the difference between inside and outside air temperatures.

A regularly scheduled maintenance program for your heating system will:

Help prevent middle of the night or weekend breakdowns Reduce heating bills Reduce dust particles and contaminants Detect carbon monoxide leaks and development of hazardous conditions Schedule your furnace check-up and be more prepared for winter.