Three Steps for Preparing Your Energy Efficient Furnace for Winter

November 04, 2014

If you have an energy efficient furnace, you know the winter months are when it’s going to start paying for itself. These inventive HVAC systems can help reduce the amount of energy or gas needed to heat your home compared to older and less efficient models. With winter months approaching here in Mount Pleasant, we’ve prepared some essential steps you can take to ensure your furnace will run efficiently and effectively all season.

1. Schedule a regular maintenance visit before winter weather arrives.

The last thing you want is to turn on your furnace on the first cold day in Mount Pleasant only to realize it’s not working properly. It’s important to have a HVAC professional inspect your equipment, as these individuals have been trained and certified to ensure your HVAC products are safe and working well. Regularly maintaining your equipment will not only help the equipment operate smoothly, but it will help improve the energy efficiency of your furnace, as well.

2. Check your heat exchanger.

Fractured or improperly functioning heat exchangers mix combustion gases with the air in your home. This leads to safety concerns with carbon monoxide poisoning. This inspection is easy – just inspect your furnace’s combustion chamber for cracks. If you smell strange odors coming from the heater after a period of time, shut it off and call a professional. Your heat exchanger is an important part of creating an energy efficient furnace. When it’s working properly, the equipment doesn’t have to work as hard or use as much energy to provide your family with the heat you desire.

3. Change your air filter.

If you haven’t changed your filter in a while, now’s the time. Clean filters will help improve your equipment’s air flow and could lead to better energy efficiency, as well. Pleated, HEPA and electrostatic filters can also help increase the furnace’s energy efficiency, so consider upgrading if you’re currently using a flat filter. We recommend checking your filter at the end of each month to see whether it needs to be changed.

Use these steps to create a more energy efficient home this season. Or, if you’re due for a repair, Olde Towne Heating & Air offers a variety of energy efficient furnaces. We’re happy to help you choose the latest and greatest HVAC systems available in Mount Pleasant.