You should be able to handle most of the following items on the home heating checklist, but there is one item you will need the help of a heating professional. That item is checking to be sure the heat exchanger in your furnace is in good shape and not leaking poisonous fumes into your home. You should have a professional inspect your furnace every three to five years, more often if your furnace is more that 20 years old. In fact, if your furnace is more than 20 years old, you should consider upgrading your heating system to a new, fuel efficient furnace. The efficiency of a 20 year old furnace is about 50 to 65 percent, while the efficiency of a new furnace is in the 95 percent range. That being said, let's look at our heating checklist.
The first thing you need to do is change the filter in your furnace. A dirty filter will cause your furnace to work harder. The filter should be replaced once a month. To change the filter, first make sure the thermostat is turned off. Then open the panel that covers the filter, slide the old filter out and slide in a clean one. On the edge of the filter will be printed an arrow that shows the direction that air should flow through the filter. The arrow should be pointing toward the blower.
Next, check the blower itself. Again, make sure the thermostat is off. The fan belt should give about a half an inch. If the belt needs adjustment, the motor bracket should have a way to adjust it. If your furnace is oil fired, locate the fuel filter in the main oil line and change it once per year.
If you have an oil fired furnace, you may want to consider converting it to gas if your financial plans don't include a new furnace. If you can upgrade to a new fuel efficient furnace, you may find that at today's gas prices, the higher cost of a new furnace will be offset by the savings you will realize on your fuel bill.
Go To Page: 1
