4 Maintenance Tips For Your Home’s Heating System

The following contribution is from another author.

Your heating system plays a crucial function in your home, helping to regulate indoor temperature. The last thing you want is your heating system breaking down or malfunctioning when you need it the most. You also don’t want to replace your system too often, which can be very costly. Regular maintenance is the best way to protect your heating system and ensure it remains in perfect working condition. While this is a job for the experts, some basic knowledge can help you check your system and keep it running smoothly. Here are some tips on maintaining your home heating system.

Look after the heat pump

Your heat pump is vital to the way your system functions. Unfortunately, it takes on too much workload, especially during peak usage when the weather is colder than usual. You can do a few things to look after your heat pump. Inspect it regularly and ensure it doesn’t have ice building up on it during snowy months. Ice gathering on the pump can extensively damage the unit, including freezing the blades. That will prevent your system from working at its peak. Look for signs of dirt or debris, and clean the outdoor coils as often as necessary. You must also maintain a tidy environment around the heat pump to prevent nearby dust and debris from entering the pump and affecting its performance. 

Arrange for regular checks

While you can conduct some basic maintenance tasks on your home, arranging a professional heating system check at least once a year is best. Professionals can notice potential issues that may escape your attention and prevent breakdowns in the future. They will also inspect all aspects of your heating system that you cannot reach and check your unit for leaks. You can find companies like Smoaks Comfort Control for professional heating system maintenance services. 

Check your thermostat and know the settings

Check your thermostat to know if things are working as they should with your heating system. Turn it up twice yearly (preferably during spring and fall) and listen for the furnace to kick in. Next, let your furnace run for a while. If it runs without stopping, your system is working perfectly. But if it switches off within a few minutes, you may have a problem and need to call a professional. Most heat pump settings have three settings – cool, heat, and emergency heat. Keep your setting on ‘heat’ mode and not ‘emergency heat’ mode if you want to warm your interior space. Going beyond the ‘heat mode’ means you’ll more likely pay more on your energy bills. If you have an automatic thermostat, avoid changing your settings often, as the thermostat will automatically adjust to handle an increase or drop in temperature. The goal is to avoid overworking the thermostat. 

Check and replace the filters

Don’t forget to check and replace the filters often, ideally once every month, for an electric-powered system. But if you have a boiler or an oil-fired furnace, experts advise checking and replacing the filters at least once yearly. Replacing the filters improves air quality in your home while ensuring that your heating system performs at its best. Also, a clean filter will likely prevent a more serious issue from developing in your heating system.