Start preparing your furnace for winter right away. The last thing you need during the chilly, snowy season is a broken furnace since heating systems are a crucial component of home comfort.
In light of this, let’s prepare this crucial appliance to heat your home when the winter weather arrives in Toronto this year. Learn the exact steps for preparing your furnace for the winter.
1. Change Your Furnace Air Filter
Change the furnace’s filter as another simple Do It Yourself project to improve efficiency. A good rule of thumb is to replace the furnace filter at least once every three months or more frequently if you notice that the old filter is blocked with dust, grime, or pet hair. Air filter replacement helps enhance indoor air quality, boost energy efficiency, and prolong the life of your furnace.
2. Clean the Heat Exchanger
Get your heat exchanger cleaned and checked for cracks and holes. A broken or clogged heat exchanger won’t be able to fulfill its duty of preventing poisonous furnace fumes, also referred to as “flue gases,” from entering the blower and then spreading throughout your house.
If you think your heat exchanger may be malfunctioning, wait to switch on your furnace until a qualified HVAC technician has examined it for safety and recommended whether you should repair or replace it. The heat exchanger will typically need to be replaced if it is badly damaged.
3. Cover Your Air Conditioner
When the summer is done, and you’ve used your air conditioner all season, walk outside to your yard and cover the condenser’s top. Falling leaves, seeds, and twigs have a tendency to accumulate in this device in the autumn, blocking the coil. Only the top of a simple plywood piece will enable moisture to flow onto the unit’s sides. Heat pumps include an exterior unit, but since you’ll be using it all winter, there’s no need to cover it.
4. Get Furnace Maintenance
Our first advice is to contact a nearby HVAC provider right away for furnace maintenance. A preventative measure to guarantee dependable home heating this winter is to schedule annual furnace maintenance and cleaning or, even better, sign up for an HVAC protection plan. Additionally, regular maintenance makes your heating system more energy-efficient, which lowers your utility costs, and significantly reduces the likelihood of a catastrophic failure during the century’s worst blizzard.
Be aware that maintaining your HVAC system annually may be necessary to maintain the validity of your warranty. Additionally, it gives you a chance to ask any queries you may have concerning furnaces.
5. Inspect the Carbon Monoxide Detector
Your furnace generates heat by burning fuel unless you’re using electricity to heat the room. This combustion process may produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct, a fatal gas that is incredibly difficult to detect. Installing a carbon monoxide monitor is crucial for this reason. Ensure that it is still operational by doing routine inspections.
6. Test Your Thermostat
Here is a quick test you can perform on your thermostat to ensure it is operating correctly. Set it several degrees hotter than the present indoor temperature and switch it to “Heat.” (Of course, the ideal thermostat setting for the winter is typically much lower.) In the midst of a September heatwave, this might seem a little crazy at first but bear with us all the same.
Still, check to see whether your furnace turns on after a while. If so, fantastic! Reset the thermostat to a more cozy temperature. Consider replacing or repairing your thermostat if your furnace won’t operate.
7. Uncover the Heating Vents
Go around each room in your house and look at the heating vents. Make sure that they are all completely open and that none are hidden by curtains, furniture, or other items. This will guarantee that the heated air from your furnace can circulate effectively and stop heat loss.
Conclusion
Indeed, it is important to take some time to prepare your furnace for the cold Toronto winter. By taking some simple steps, such as changing the furnace filter and making sure the thermostat is working properly, you can help to ensure that your furnace will be able to keep your home warm and comfortable all winter long.
If you are looking for a company in Lennox that offers furnace installation in Toronto, look no further than our services here at Lennox Dealers Toronto. We install, service and maintain Lennox® and all major brands of furnaces and air conditioners. Call us today, and let us tend to your home’s furnace in no time!