Three Steps for Preparing Your Energy Efficient Furnace for Winter

November 04, 2014

If you’ve upgraded to an energy efficient furnace, you know the winter months are when it’s going to show its return on investement. These innovative HVAC systems can help reduce the amount of energy or gas required to heat your home compared to older and less efficient models. With winter creeping upon us here in Bishop, we’ve prepared some essential steps you can take to ensure your furnace will work efficiently and effectively all season.

1. Schedule a routine maintenance visit before winter weather arrives.

The last thing you want is to turn on your furnace on the first cold day in Bishop only to find out it’s not running properly. It’s important to have a HVAC professional inspect your system, as these individuals have been trained and certified to ensure your HVAC products are safe and working correctly. Regular service visits will not only help the furnace operate smoothly, but it will help enhance the energy efficiency of your furnace, as well.

2. Check your heat exchanger.

Broken or improperly functioning heat exchangers mix combustion gases with the air in your home. This leads to safety concerns with carbon monoxide poisoning. This inspection is easy – just inspect your furnace’s combustion chamber for cracks. If you smell strange odors coming from the heater after a couple minutes, shut it off and call a professional. Your heat exchanger is an important part of creating an energy efficient furnace. When it’s working properly, the equipment doesn’t have to work as hard or use as much energy to generate the heat you desire.

3. Change your air filter.

If you haven’t changed your filter in a while, now’s the time. Clean filters may help improve your system’s air flow and may lead to better energy efficiency, as well. Pleated, HEPA and electrostatic filters can also help increase the furnace’s energy efficiency, so consider upgrading if you’re currently using a flat filter. We recommend checking your filter monthly to see whether it needs to be changed.

Follow these steps to create a more energy efficient home this winter. Or, if you’re ready for a repair, Bishop Heating & Air Conditioning offers a variety of energy efficient furnaces. We’re happy to help you find the latest and greatest HVAC systems available in Bishop.