When It’s Bitter Cold Do These 3 Things For Your Furnace
Winter in the Midwest, specifically the bitter cold, is almost always a question when not if.
We know it’s coming at some point from November-March each winter, and often we take extra precautions to prepare ourselves for it.
Ever been to the grocery store hours before a snowstorm or extreme cold temperatures are about to hit?
Pure chaos.
We don’t mess around when it comes to our safety, comfort, and the scary reality of having to step outside our homes in nasty weather.
But what about your furnace? When the bitter cold rolls in you’re certainly expecting it to keep your home warm. But is there anything extra you should be doing to make sure it keeps doing it’s job?
Let’s explore 3 things you can do to make sure your furnace runs safely and reliably when winter is at it’s worse.
Check Your Filter
If you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s time to check it out. One the most common reasons a furnace quits working is because the filter is plugged. Plugged filters also put more strain on the furnace which could result in parts failing in your furnace.
Check Your Exhaust Venting
If you have PVC venting going from your furnace to an outside wall of your home, make sure it’s not buried in snow or frozen over with ice. Snow drifts can get high quickly, and condensation can turn to ice in no time. If your PVC venting is blocked, the furnace won’t run.
Don’t Mess With The Temps
Bitter cold weather is nasty during the day and can get even colder overnight. Many of you (us included) like to lower the temperature in your home while you sleep, some as many as 10 degrees cooler than where you keep it set at during the day.
This is a great way to save money on your energy bill. However, it does require the furnace to work harder during the time it’s bringing the home temperatures back up from the overnight setting.
In bitter cold this can put unnecessary strain on your furnace and older ones may not be able to keep doing it if the bitter cold sticks around for several days.
Our suggestion; reduce the temperature drop overnight by 50%. So if you usually lower your home temperature by 10 degrees reduce it to 5 degrees.
Maintenance Matters
While all of these tips can be helpful for your furnace when it’s bitter cold, none of them can replace the importance and added peace of mind preventative maintenance provides. If you haven’t had a professional inspect, tune, and clean your furnace, what are you waiting for?
Call our office at (262) 728-1655 or email and mention this article and you’ll receive 20% of our Ultimate Tune & Clean.
