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Heating Solutions

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Bitter Cold Temps Coming Soon. Make Sure Your House is Ready and Warm for the Holidays

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Bitter cold temperatures are forecast for Ft Worth and surrounding areas in upcoming days. Keeping warm is one of the most important aspects of the cozy holiday atmosphere. Here are some tips from Ideal Partners to help you make sure your home is comfortable and welcoming for the holiday season.

Tip 1: Make sure to change out the furnace filter. If your furnace filter is dirty, it can severely hamper the efficiency of your heating unit. If your home is cold, it could be that you have a perfectly fine furnace unit, but it is just not able to get that heat to your vents due to this blockage. Here are some instructions to change the filter yourself, or you can give Ideal Partners a call to change it out and make sure your furnace is in working order this winter.

Tip 2: Reverse your ceiling fans. The Energy Star program recommends utilizing the reverse setting on your ceiling fans at a low speed to draw heat that has risen to the ceiling down into the living space below. By keeping the heat from dissipating so quickly into the ceiling and walls, your home will stay warmer and be more energy efficient.

Tip 3: Seal up animal doors and mail slots. Sealing up places that are designed to be accessible from the outside will help prevent small drafts from coming into your home. Using a blanket or a cover designed for the purpose, simply cover up the entry points to prevent cold air from leaking into your home.

Tip 4: Call professionals to inspect your heating system. There’s no replacement for the expertise of an HVAC professional. If you’re worried about your heating system being ready to handle the cold north Texas winter, call Ideal Partners for a free estimate for repairs or a new unit. Ideal Partners can also inspect your current system to see what improvements can be made.

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Getting Your HVAC System Winter Ready

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Getting your system ready early before winter hits allows you time to get a professional to perform maintenance if you encounter problems so that your system is good to go for winter.

What you can do

Before you start doing anything, make sure to turn off your HVAC system. Don’t start to move anything until you hear the blower turn off.

To perform a quick check, start by changing out the air filters. This should be done at least every three months to ensure the highest efficiency from your HVAC unit. Be sure to listen for banging or rattling, leaks around windows and vents, and signs of moisture from on the vent pipes like rust. All of these could be indicative of problems in your unit that an HVAC technician would need to look at.

You should also make sure that the heater even comes on. Don’t wait until winter to find out that something is wrong. Switch your thermostat to heat and set the temperature a couple of degrees above the room temperature to see if the heat comes on.

You should finish by checking the batteries on your carbon monoxide alarms and use the test feature to make sure the alarm sounds. You can also test the igniter switch or pilot light for your system to make sure it’s ready to start up your system. Lastly, before your first freeze, be sure to cover your AC condenser unit with a flat lid or plywood to make sure so and ice do not build up inside it.

What to have done

There are a bevy of items that need to be serviced. Both the heat exchanger and blower motor for your furnace may need to be inspected annually. Check your owner’s manual to see what the maintenance standards are for your system and call a professional if you aren’t sure if your system has been checked in a while.

Preventative maintenance will go a long way in lengthening the life of your HVAC system and ensure that you aren’t left out in the cold when winter comes along. If you want certified professionals to make sure your HVAC system is ready to go for the winter, give Ideal Partners a call today for a free estimate.