What can impact your heater’s performance this holiday season?
The winter holidays are one of the most magical times of the year. However, you could quickly find yourself facing a holiday nightmare should your heating system have any issues or not heat your home effectively. These are some of the factors that can impact your heating system over the holidays to help you ensure that your home stays comfortable.
1. Air Filter Condition
One of the important things you can do to ensure your heating system works effectively over the holiday season or any time of the year is to replace your HVAC air filter regularly. Exactly how often you need to replace your air filter depends in large part on how often your heating system runs. In the colder months, when your heating system runs much more often, you’re usually best to change the air filter no less than once every six to eight weeks. This is especially true if you have pets in your home since pet hair will cause the filter to clog more quickly.
If you don’t replace the air filter, your heating system will start working much less effectively. A clogged air filter will also cause your heating costs to quickly start increasing. The issue is that a clogged filter greatly restricts the airflow in your heating system. Restricted airflow is a major issue because it puts more strain on your heating system and can cause it to start overheating. Making sure to remember to replace the air filter will also reduce the risk of your heating breaking down over the holidays.
2. Number of People in Your Home
People naturally give off lots of heat. If you’re hosting a holiday party and have lots of guests at your home, your house can quickly start to feel too hot. This is especially true if you’re also using your stove and oven. For this reason, we recommend turning your thermostat down by two or three degrees when all of your guests arrive. Setting your thermostat to a slightly lower temperature will help keep your home more comfortable. It also has the added benefit of making it so that your heating system doesn’t run as often. This will help you save a bit on your energy bills over the holidays and also lessen the strain and wear and tear on your heating system.
If your home ever starts to feel too hot during a holiday gathering, you may want to consider shutting your furnace or heat pump off temporarily. You can then switch the setting on your thermostat so that the fan or HVAC blower keeps running constantly. When the blower continues to run, it will start to circulate cooler air throughout your home and cool your house down more quickly. As the blower runs, it will also help to balance out the temperature so that it is consistent throughout the home and there are no hot or cold spots.
3. Heating System Maintenance
The best thing you can do to keep your heating running smoothly over the holidays is to have it serviced and inspected by a certified HVAC technician. Ensuring your heating system is properly maintained is the biggest key to limiting how much energy it uses and lessening the chances of it not working effectively or breaking down. Having a yearly inspection performed is also essential in this regard. Even minor problems can suddenly turn into a major issue if they’re not fixed promptly. If you never have your heating system inspected and serviced, it will almost certainly need to be repaired more often and require much more costly repairs.
The last thing you want is for your heating system to suddenly stop working over the holidays. Should this happen, you may end up having to pay a lot more for an emergency heating service. A broken-down heating system could also ruin your holiday party since your home could quickly get so cold that it’s uncomfortable to be there. For these reasons, we would absolutely recommend scheduling a heating maintenance and tune-up service before the holidays arrive if you haven’t yet had your heating system maintained this year.
If your heating system isn’t working as well as it should or if you need to have it serviced, Jeffries Heating & Air + Plumbing is here to help. Our certified technicians specialize in heating maintenance and all types of heating repairs, and they can work on every make and model of furnace or heat pump. We can also help if you need to replace your furnace or heat pump before the holidays or if you need any air conditioning, plumbing, or electrical service in the Somerset area. If you need to schedule a service call or have any questions, contact our expert team today.
