Super Cold? Tips to Help Your Furnace
Tips to Help Your Furnace Keep Up
& Protect Your Pocketbook
You’ve seen the forecast, so you know what’s coming. Every winter we expect extremely cold temperatures to make their appearance in Castle Rock CO, but when the low temp drops into the single digits, or even below zero, it can be challenging to keep our homes warm and cozy. Your furnace or boiler is working around the clock to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. We’ve compiled a list of tips to help keep the heat IN and the cold OUT.
1. Change Air Filter Regularly:
One of the top causes of heating system malfunction is a dirty filter. When it’s freezing cold outside, your furnace needs all the help it can get, and a clean air filter will help prevent your furnace from working harder than it needs to heat your Larkspur CO home.
2. Keep Air Vents Unobstructed:
Whether you have a heat pump or a furnace, your system needs proper airflow to work efficiently. Make sure all indoor registers are open. Closing registers, even in unused rooms, can lead to pressure problems that will make your system work harder. You can adjust them to reduce airflow - just don't shut them off.
Higher efficiency systems vent outside. Typically, these vents will be located near ground level and can become obstructed by ice and snow. The area around the vents must be clear so your furnace can vent properly. Inside your home, make sure all registers are open, even if it’s just a little. Fully closing registers, even in unused rooms, can lead to pressure problems that affect your system. You can adjust them to reduce airflow - just don't shut them off completely.
3. Check Carbon Monoxide Detectors:
The higher demand on your furnace can cause additional strain on the system. As a safety precaution, test carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they operate correctly and replace the batteries if needed.
4. Keep Your Programmable Thermostat Settings Within 3-5 Degrees of Desired Temperatures:
You may have heard that to save on energy, you should turn your heat down when you aren't home. However, when it is subzero temperatures outside, this is not recommended. Keep thermostat settings within 3-5 degrees of your desired at-home temperature. Sharper decreases in temperature will put additional stress on the system when you turn the thermostat back up and will lead to a spike in energy use.
5. Don't Skip Your Furnace Maintenance (Tune-ups):
Annual maintenance will help keep your furnace or boiler operating at peak efficiency. During a furnace tune-up, our highly skilled and professionally trained technicians will give your system a thorough cleaning and inspection to help increase efficiency (and your comfort), decrease energy use, reduce breakdowns, and help promote longer system life. If you have a gas furnace, we will also do a thorough safety inspection and carbon monoxide test to help keep your family comfortable and safe. For added peace of mind, after we complete your boiler or furnace tune-up, we cover your system with our Golden Guarantee for Service!