Is your furnace ready for whatever another Eastern North Carolina winter brings? Will it keep you cozy warm and also heat economically all winter long — without any emergency service calls to rescue a unit that breaks down at the worst possible time? The way to ensure that your heating system keeps you comfortable all the way to next spring is to take preventive action now, before the first major cold spell strikes.

Here are some tasks to put on the list, as well as one to leave to professionals.

• Change the air filter. When your HVAC pro installs a fresh air filter during maintenance visits, be sure to change it monthly until your next tune-up. Some air filters last much longer and only need to be changed by techs during spring/summer and fall/winter tune-ups.
• Open all air vents and keep them open. Closed heating vents don’t save money. They actually degrade system efficiency and make comfort inconsistent throughout the house. Make sure air vents in all rooms are open and unobstructed.
• Clean up the furnace area. Move away any clutter and vacuum dust out of the furnace cabinet. Don’t use this area for storage during winter. Your tech will clean the unit itself during maintenance tune-ups.
• Update the programmable thermostat. Reset programs for winter occupancy hours and temperature preferences. For best compromise between comfort and efficiency, program temperatures for 68 to 70 degrees while residents are awake and at home and 60 to 62 degrees when the house is unoccupied and/or people are asleep.

After you’ve done your part to ensure heating performance and efficiency, it’s time to call in a trained professional. Schedule a yearly furnace tune-up with a reputable local HVAC contractor. Annual maintenance ensures that your system is performing up to manufacturer’s specs at the outset of the heating season. However, it also gives a qualified HVAC technician the opportunity to spot any minor problems now, before they turn into serious malfunctions later in the season, when dependable heating is critical.

For professional preventive furnace maintenance and service whenever it’s required, contact Jackson & Sons.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Eastern North Carolina (including Wayne, Johnston, Greene, Lenoir, Pitt and Duplin Counties) about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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