Winter Wonderland in Baltimore: How To Ensure Your Heating System Is Ready for The Cold Months Ahead

Sledding, ice skating, and snowman building are fun winter weather activities, but what’s no fun is when your home’s heating system goes downhill. Check out these ways to ensure your heating system is ready for the cold months ahead:

1. Change air filters: The most common cause of heating system issues is blocked air filters. This simple DIY fix can help avoid heating breakdowns. Don’t forget to change the filters throughout your home and the one within your home’s furnace. Clean filters reduce the stress on your home’s system.
2. Check for air leaks: Heated air that escapes has no impact on your comfort, meaning your home’s heating system will have to work harder to meet your needs. Using a flame or simply your hands, test doors and windows for drafts and leaks and address them by sealing problem areas.
3. Ensure your home is properly insulated: Missing insulation or under-insulated areas of your home can drive up heating costs. The Environmental Protection Agency estimated homeowners can save up to 15% on heating costs by sealing leaks and adding insulation in attics, basements, and floors over crawl spaces.
4. Test your home’s carbon monoxide detector at least once a month: Home heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide, a dangerous, odorless, poisonous gas.
5. Upgrade your home’s thermostat to a programmable version: This will help your system work more efficiently and save money by programming it to a cooler temperature while you are asleep or away from home. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, your system should be set at 68 to 70 degrees while you’re awake and at home and lower at other times.
6. Clean the space around your furnace: Most often, your furnace is in the basement. Make sure objects are 3 feet from your furnace to limit the risk of a fire.
7. Open the air vents throughout your home: Clean them so they don’t blow dirt and debris into the air.
8. Consider a whole-home humidifier: Humidifiers help to regulate the amount of moisture in your home. This is especially important in winter as dry air from furnaces can make skin feel itchy and dry. Small one-room humidifiers can also help to regulate the air quality in individual rooms.
9. Give your system a test run: Before the depths of winter hit, switch on your heat and check for any issues like loud noises or cold rooms within your house. Early testing can help you identify any issues and avoid the need for emergency repair.
10. Schedule heating maintenance: Whether you have a gas or electric furnace, heat pump, or boiler, it’s important to inspect and maintain your system to ensure it will work when you want it to.

Protect Your Heating System with a Maintenance Plan

At Len The Plumber Heating & Air, we offer a Whole Home Service Plan to give your HVAC system a tune-up every season, and your plumbing system gets a yearly tune-up too.

A well-maintained system will run more efficiently and reliably so you can escape the cold outdoors and stay cozy.

Call (800) 950-4619(800) 950-4619 to request a service appointment with our team. We offer stress-free heating services for all our Baltimore-area customers.