Winter Safety Tips for Your HVAC System

You need to be safe while heating your home this winter. Following these simple things will make sure you are comfortable through the winter. Here are five simple tips to make the most out of your system this winter. First, safety should be your number one priority in the winter. The months of December through March are peak times for house fires and deaths. A lot of these house fires end up being because of the heating system and they are preventable. You should make sure your furnace is cleaned and maintained each fall to make sure it is all clean and ready to go. The furnace can leak carbon monoxide which is deadly to you and your family so having it inspected will give you piece of mind. If your furnace fails and you must use space heaters, use them wisely! Being negligent with them can cause injury, fire, and death. NEVER use your stove to heat your home, this is very dangerous! Little children and pets can get burned on the hot oven door being open. Leaving your stove running to heat the home can result in carbon monoxide poisoning for you and your family. Like mentioned before, fall maintenance on your furnace is crucial. This will also make your furnace more efficient so you can save money in the winter and deal with less breakdowns. You should make sure you are setting your thermostat at the right settings that will heat your home and save you money at the same time. Turning your stat all the way up in hopes of heating your home faster only just makes the furnace wear and tear faster but does not heat the home any quicker. 68 is a good setting for the beginning of the day and then you can drop it by 8 degrees when no one is home. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can set it to heat up your home right before someone is to arrive. Your indoor air quality is majorly affected by your HVAC system. Getting a humidifier will help reduce all the electric shocks you get in the winter. It will also help reduce cold and flu. Having your ducts cleaned is a good idea too! Lastly if your system is coming up on being 15-20 years old you might just want to replace it with a new and more efficient system. The new systems are more efficient so you save money while still being comfortable. They also will breakdown less so they will be saving you even more money in the long run. These are all simple things you can follow to make sure you are safe and comfortable this winter. Call Bartlett Heating and Air for all your HVAC needs!