Are You Ready for the Cold Season?

A home isn’t really a home unless it’s comfortable. Without your furnace, your home could soon turn into a freezer. Are you and your furnace ready for a Minnesota winter? Get your furnace inspected and cleaned now by Standard Heating & Air Conditioning. The time to fix or replace your furnace is before the winter sets in.

Are Emergency Services Available?

Don’t assume that your HVAC service does emergency services. Find out now. Also, find out if there are extra charges for this service. Keep the number handy should your furnace give up the ghost during a deep freeze. If they do not offer emergency services, find a company that does. Your current HVAC service may have recommended companies for you to check out.

Check Furnace Filter

This is one task that you can do yourself. Cleaning the filters can help lower your energy bills by 15 percent. The standard 1-inch furnace filter should be changed every two to three months or when dirty. Changing filters also helps keeps up the air quality in your home. Keep a list of when the filter was changed near the heater to help remind you when to change it. Some homeowners will find a sheet metal pocket in the lower plenum on top of the furnace with manuals, instructions, and warranty information. This is a good place to put your filter-changing schedule.

Cleaning the Furnace Interior

Over time, your furnace will assemble a remarkable collection of debris. This dirt and grit can interfere with the furnace’s efficiency. This debris can be vacuumed out, provided you have a vacuum with a long hose and thin nozzle attachment to get into the cracks. Turn off the gas or electricity to the furnace before opening up the furnace door. Vacuum out as much dirt as you can. If you are not sure where the furnace door is, do not guess. Let an HVAC professional check and clean the furnace out during the annual maintenance inspection.

Furnace Safety

It’s important that nothing touches the sides or the pipes of your furnace. These areas get hot and anything touching it could cause a fire. Before fall, make sure everything is at least six inches away from your system. You also want to make a clear path to the furnace and around your heater to make maintenance tasks much easier.

How Old Is Your Furnace?

In Minnesota, most air conditioning systems last less than 15 years. In fact, many stop working after just 12 years. Consider having it replaced before cold weather strikes. Modern furnaces are far more efficient than ones made over 10 years ago. They do not waste fuel as older furnaces do. Over time, your new furnace will pay for itself in lower fuel bills. Older furnaces could produce a lot of potentially deadly carbon monoxide, and you don’t want to deal with that risk.

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