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Is Your Home Ready For Winter?

Your car isn't the only thing that needs maintenance when the seasons change. Did you know regular maintenance on your furnace is proven to save you money and make your indoor air climate more enjoyable, safe and clean for you and your family?

1. Clean or Replace Your Furnace Filter

Lennox FilterIf you do nothing else this season, it is most important that you remember to replace your furnace filter. Furnace filters serve to filter dirt, debris and allergens out of your home's air to protect both your health and your furnace's blower motor. Keeping your family breathing healthy, pure air - all the while protecting your heating unit and keeping it running safely.

Having a dirty filter will restrict air flow to your furnace, making the furnace work harder to deliver less heated air to your home. Overtime, this will over work your system, causing an exponential increase to your energy costs and delivering unfiltered air to your home.

Not sure if your filter is ready to be changed? The first question you should ask yourself is how long has it been since my last filter change? Typically, if you have a standard 1" filter, it needs to be changed monthly. If anyone in your household is a smoker, has any type of respiratory complications, or if you have pets, it would be wise to change your filter more frequently throughout the year. If you have a filter that is thicker than 1" or a higher MERV rating, you may only need to change your filter every 3-6 months. Still not sure if it needs to be changed or not? When in doubt, our advice is to go ahead and change the filter out. Replacement filters are a lot less expensive to change then a new blower motor, or worse yet, a new furnace. If you need help figuring out how to replace your filter or if you can't decide when your filter needs to be replaced, please call our customer experience help line at 888-623-4678. We would love to help you along the process.

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2. Install a Whole Home or Portable Humidifier

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Dry air can lead to a variety of aliments including being more susceptible to colds, congestion and respiratory infections, as well as induce any current breathing problems such as asthma or allergies. A humidifier will release vapor or steam into the air to help ease these problems and improve overall indoor comfort. If you notice any of the following conditions below, it may mean that your home needs more moisture in the air and an investment in a humidifier may be a wise choice for you. Humidifier

 

 

 

  1. Dry eyes, skin, nosebleeds, and chapped lips
  2. Cough, sore throat
  3. Dry, cracking wood furniture or wooden chair rungs are loose/popping out.
  4. Increased static electricity
  5. Increased asthma/breathing problems
  6. Feeling like your furnace's heat does not make the air warm enough
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3. Replace Your Humidifier Water Panel

Water PanelIf you have previously purchased a humidifier there is some seasonal maintenance that needs to be performed in order to keep your humidifier working properly. Most times, only once a season but in some cases every 3 months, the humidifier water panel needs to be replaced.

Why does the water panel need to be replaced? Old water panels become clogged with gross scale and mineral deposits, causing restricted air flow to your humidifier. This restricted air flow will decrease the efficiency of your humidifier making it significantly harder for your system to produce the humidity requested and will eventually stop producing humidity all together. You need an unclogged, properly working water panel in order to have a fully functioning humidifier.

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4. Invest in a Space Heater

crane heaterIf you tend to cozy up in one or two rooms of your home during the winter, a space heater can be a great way to keep your living space warm and simultaneously cut down on energy costs. These space heaters can be fun and decorative or blend in with the scenery of the room, what ever your style preference is, there are heaters available to match it. 

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5. Clear Obstacles Off Vents

Vents should be free of furniture, clothing, or anything else that could obstruct air flow. The more freely air can circulate through the home the less your system needs to work - meaning less electricity will need to be used to heat your home.

6. Check for Carbon Monoxide Leaks

This time of year, it is an important to check the carbon monoxide levels in your home as well as have a technician inspect your furnace to ensure there are no leaks, blockages, or pre-existing conditions that could potentially lead to a leak. It would also be beneficial to purchase an inexpensive Carbon Monoxide test or battery operated CO alarm to ensure your families safety throughout the furnace season.

Carbon monoxide is a odorless, poisonous and undetectable gas that is produced from multiple sources, the most common within a home are, gas or oil burning furnaces, space heaters, fire places, and wood burning stoves. If a home is vented properly and free from any appliance malfunctions, the carbon monoxide will most likely be safely vented outside. However, furnace heat exchangers can crack, vents can easily become blocked, and other conditions such as back drafting can occur forcing the contaminated air back into your home, polluting the air you breath and endangering you and your family. Please take these safety precautions to make sure there are no potential threats lurking in your home.

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