Preventing Heating Repairs And Keeping Warm When They Are Needed

The best way to avoid dealing with needing emergency heating repair is to keep your heating system working well by providing it with proper maintenance and knowing how to catch early warning signs. This article will offer tips on avoiding heating emergency and offer advice for staying warm until help arrives if you do find yourself in the midst of a heating issue.

Here are tips for avoiding heating emergencies:

Keep the furnace cleaned out – The first thing you should do at the start of winter when you are thinking of turning on the furnace is to clean it out. Take off the panel covering the filter and wipe down the belts, pulleys and assembly. Wipe down the panel itself before you put it back in place.

Replace the furnace filter – The filter traps dust, pollen, dander and other airborne debris that would otherwise go through the system. Keeping the filter clean regularly is crucial to the overall health of your furnace system. The filter is generally located in the area between the return duct and blower. In some furnaces, the filter can be located in the door of the blower. It is very easy to change the filter and should not be something that you overlook or put off.

Clean the ducts and vents – You can clean your ducts using a shop vac or another vacuum with plenty of power. Cleaning the vents regularly is especially important with a forced-air system. You can clean the vents by taking off the covers to the vents and then using the same vacuum cleaner.

Get the system checked before using it – Having a technician come out to look over the system before running it at the start of the season can help prevent it from being run with a problem that can cause the problem to become worse.

Here are tips for staying warm until your heating system can be repaired:

Cover hard floors – Hard floors can help bring down the temperature when its already cold outside. Covering them with area rugs or even blankets if that's all you have can help the rooms to hold in more heat.

Bake something – Throw something in the oven that takes a long time to cook on a higher temperature. This is a good way to generate more heat and you will have something warm to eat that helps you feel warm. After turning off the oven, crack the door an inch or so to get all that hot air to come out into the house.