4 Must-Do Home Heating System Checks Before Holiday Guests Arrive
Your tree is decorated with twinkling lights and ornaments. Gifts are wrapped. Guests have arrived. The holidays are here, and you can’t wait to spend time with your favorite friends and family. You have two weeks to catch up and make new memories. The last thing you want is for your home heating system to break down.
While HVAC technology is making it easier to diagnose potential issues before they arise, problems still occur. These four post-holiday checks help prevent the unexpected from happening when your house is full of guests.
Change the Air Filter
Start your holiday break by cleaning the filter. The filter’s purpose is to catch small particles before they reach your air exchanger or other essential system parts. Dust, pet hair, and other debris can accumulate, reducing the system’s efficiency. Fans and motors have to work harder and may wear out faster.
It also ensures that the airflow in your home is free of bacteria, dust, mold spores, and viruses. Since humidity travels through ducts, mildew and mold can develop. Filters prevent those spores from entering your living spaces.
While an HVAC technician might replace the filter during an annual cleaning, you are responsible for changing it throughout the year. How often you need to do this depends on your square footage, location, the number of family members and pets, and the type of filter.
Smaller homes typically require less frequent filter changes than larger homes. In a big house, more air is circulated, so filters trap more particles across the increased square footage. However, this isn’t foolproof, as a small home with two dogs, three cats, and several children might find the filter gets dirtier faster than in a larger home with no pets and just one occupant.
Residents in a city experience worsening air quality and pollution. If the air quality in your area is poor, more frequent filter changes are recommended.
Fiberglass Air Filters
Fiberglass Air Filters – These filters are budget-friendly, but they aren’t as effective at trapping dust and tiny particles. It’s recommended to replace them every month (30 days).
Pleated Air Filters
Pleated Air Filters – A pleated air filter costs more but lasts longer. With regular use, they need to be replaced every 90 days. They’re also more effective at capturing small particles.
Before you change your filter, hold it up to the light. Is it so dirty you can’t see light through it? It’s time to change it. This is a good way to determine how often you should change your filter. It can change from one season to another.
Ideally, select the air filter recommended by your heating system installer. Using a filter that’s too restrictive can block airflow and put extra strain on your heating system components. Choosing the wrong type of filter can be just as damaging as not changing your filter regularly.
After guests leave and the tree is taken down, it’s a good idea to replace the filter again. You’ve had more people in your home and cooked extra meals, which means your filter has collected more hair, cooking odors, and other particles. Start fresh with the new year.
Clear All Registers, Vents, and Space Around the Furnace
As you rearrange furniture and rugs to fit more guests, ensure you’re not blocking or covering registers or vents. Blocking airflow can lead to hot and cold spots.
The more your system works to heat your home, the faster parts like fans and motors wear out. You’ll end up paying for costly repairs or replacements sooner than you expect.
Make sure to leave space around your furnace, too. Installers typically leave about 30 inches from the walls for a reason. Your furnace needs air for combustion.
Proper airflow is essential for the furnace to work correctly. If you start storing presents in a closet or furnace room and block the furnace, it can cause problems. Find another space for gifts or bring a tape measure to ensure you’ve left enough room.
Pay Attention to the Sounds Your System Makes
Make it a habit to listen to your system when it starts up, runs, and ends a heating cycle. Any new noises can indicate something is about to go wrong. It may turn out to be nothing, but it’s better to err on the side of caution and have a professional run tests and check that components are working normally and show no signs of damage or wear.
Typical sounds that indicate there’s a problem are as follows.
Common Problem Sounds
Bangs and booms – In a gas heating system, they can indicate that ignition is taking longer than usual. It can be a sign that the burner is dirty or the air intake isn’t adequate.
Clanking and grinding – If parts are rubbing together, they make a clanking or grinding sound. It could be an impending motor failure.
Hissing – Hissing sounds indicate that there’s a leak somewhere. It might be a gas leak, which is dangerous, or an airflow problem, such as a dirty air filter or a leak in a duct.
Rattling – Anything that sounds loose and rattling indicates that there is a loose bolt, fan, or other internal component.
Screeching and squealing – These sounds can indicate worn bearings or belts.
Test Your Thermostat
Check different rooms in your home with a digital thermometer to see if the air temperature matches the thermostat settings. If the readings vary widely, there might be an issue. Try to identify what’s causing the temperature fluctuation.
You might have drafty windows or patio doors, which you can fix by taping window insulation over the window and sealing it with a hair dryer. The kits are available at most hardware and home improvement stores. Address drafty exterior doors with weatherstripping.
Ensure no furniture or rugs block the registers and vents. If that’s not the issue, feel the area where heat should be emanating. Do you notice any warmth at all? It could be a problem with hot water not reaching a baseboard pipe, a dirty air filter, or a leak in a duct that prevents hot air from reaching that room.
If you cannot figure out the problem or it’s something you cannot fix yourself, call an HVAC Technician to assess the situation. You want to get it fixed before your holiday guests arrive.
Schedule an HVAC Tune-Up Before Guests Arrive
When was your system’s last scheduled maintenance performed? If it’s been more than a year, you’re overdue.
It’s best to schedule a heating system tune-up before your guests arrive. Knowing your system is in good working order gives you peace of mind. It also ensures you have time to make repairs if the HVAC technician finds that a component is about to fail.
Air Blue Heating and Cooling has been keeping Chicago-area homes warm and toasty for more than 30 years. Schedule a tune-up online. If your guests arrive and something goes wrong, our 24/7 emergency HVAC service helps get your heating system back up and running as quickly as possible.
