Fall Heating System Maintenance

It’s important to ensure your heating system is ready for fall and winter use before cold weather arrives. Not only can fall maintenance assure your home has heat when required, maintenance can reduce the energy costs, and helps to ensure long term reliability and an extended lifespan of the unit. Fall maintenance consists of simple steps the homeowner can provide, and includes a professional inspection and system tune-up, ensuring your comfort and safety.

Replace Filters

Replace air filters with those recommended for your unit. The use of soiled filters reduces the energy efficiency and effectiveness of your home’s heating system. Furthermore, soiled air filters can allow dust and contaminates to bypass the filter, distributing the pollutants throughout your home, and creating increased wear on system components due to friction.

For those with allergies and respiratory illnesses, changing the air filters routinely is essential. The frequency of filter changes depends on the type of filter and may be as often as every month to three months for peak system performance.

Clean the Air Return Grill

The air return grill is generally located in front of the filter. Over time, dust and lint collects which can reduce the air flow, resulting in poor system performance. Maintaining a clean grill helps to maintain the airflow required for the best performance and reduces wear on the heating system.

Ensure Heating Vents and the Thermostat Aren’t Blocked

Blocked air vents can increase the workload on your heating system, while reducing energy efficiency and the system’s life span. Ensure furniture, drapes, boxes or other don’t block the vents.

In addition, your homes thermostat should not be blocked. Covering the thermostat up can result in inaccurate temperatures in the home. Don’t place furniture in front of it, or stack boxes, containers or other items. Following these steps will help to maintain a cozy home and keep energy bills down.

Professional Services

The HVAC Experts at Metro Express Service suggest having your home’s heating system professionally inspected at least once a year. A fall inspection and service will help to ensure the best performance possible. If your home has a heat pump, it’s used year-round for both heating and air conditioning. This is the reason biannual service is recommended, spring and fall for the optimum performance and lifespan. Give us a call, our dedicated HVAC technicians will provide the services you need, and the expertise you can trust for the best service available.

Tips for Saving Money

Changing the air filter is the most important task a homeowner can provide for extending the units service life and improving energy efficiency. However, there are a number of tips you can use to reduce energy costs. One of the easiest is to lower the thermostat in the winter and wear a sweater. When you’re away from home, lowering the thermostat further, saves even more money. However, to prevent the risk of frozen pipes, 55 degrees is the lowest recommended temperature. A programmable thermostat is an excellent way to adjust the temperature and eliminate forgotten adjustments, while saving even more money.

Seal Leaks to Prevent Heat Loss

1. Check your home for worn weather stripping, cracked caulk, cracks in the foundation and other areas where heat can escape. Repair and replace as necessary. The loss of heat results in the heating system running longer, costing more with wasted energy, and unnecessary wear and tear.
2. If your home has a chimney, close the flue when no fire or coals is present to prevent the loss of heat.
3. Use ceiling fans with the switch in the winter position. Since heat rises, using a ceiling fan to pull the heat collected at the ceiling down to your level will increase your comfort.
4. Check the insulation in the attic. Over time, insulation can settle, resulting in lost insulation ability. Generally, if you can see the ceiling joists, you need to add insulation.
5. Close outdoor foundation vents and seal foundation cracks. Expanding foam is an effective sealer for foundation cracks. Air leaks can result in a cold floor and the unit taking longer to warm the home.
6. Use insulated drapes to keep the cold out and open the drapes on sunlit windows to allow passive solar heat into your home. Some energy efficient windows also leak insulating gas as they age, resulting in the loss of insulating ability and higher energy costs. Scheduling the windows to be recharged will take care of the problem. Check your windows warranty before scheduling the recharging service with your window manufacturer or distributor.
7. The duct work in your home should be periodically inspected for separating joints, damage or other issues, and sealed. Sealing is typically with mastic or metal tape. As much as 20% of heating can be lost due to leaks and gaps or even improper design, significantly increasing energy costs.

Read our Return Vent Cleaning Guide Here.

 About Metro Express Service

Metro Express Service is a leading local heating and air conditioning company offering factory trained professionals. We offer a variety of residential and commercial HVAC services in and around Dallas for your year-round comfort. Our services include heating system and AC tune-ups, service, repairs, replacement, installation and more. We offer emergency repair services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year for your immediate needs. When you call, we will be glad to answer your questions, and schedule service at your earliest convenience. You can rely on us for exceptional service. In addition, we are a member of the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating, reflecting our goal of excellence. Contact Metro Express Service in Dallas today to schedule the reliable HVAC services you need, and get a head start on winter.