Yep, it’s still winter. It’s plenty cold. But we’re now in March, and this means the first official day of spring is a few weeks away. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’ll instantly start to enjoy warmer weather—but it does mean we are in the home stretch.
This is an important time for the furnace in your home. This heater has already put in months of hard work to protect your family’s comfort. During this final stretch of winter is when it’s most likely to suffer from a malfunction or possibly even a full breakdown. Please don’t take for granted the furnace will sail through until the day when you can shut it off for the season! Here are a few things about your furnace in Fenton, MI to consider at this time of year.
Any “minor” issue needs to be dealt with ASAP
This is the biggest danger with how you treat your furnace at the end of the winter—putting off having malfunctions fixed because the cold weather will soon be gone. Any trouble a furnace encounters, no matter how “minor” it may seem, is an immediate repair concern.
- First, it could indicate the furnace is becoming unsafe (and this is true even for an electric furnace).
- Second, if a malfunction is left alone, it will almost certainly worsen, leading to a more expensive repair later. Don’t allow a furnace to shut down for the season if you think there’s something wrong with it.
- Third, it means the furnace could be at risk of completely failing, trapping you on a cold day waiting for repair technicians to get to you.
- Fourth, your heating bills will rise because the furnace must work harder.
Uneven heating is a common furnace trouble now
This is one of the furnace malfunctions signs to be aware of at the end of winter because it happens often. If one or more rooms in your house feel cooler than usual, it may mean the furnace is starting to lose its heating power. You should first check to ensure the cold spots aren’t due to insulation issues like cracks around windows. Also look over any room thermostats (if you have a zone control system) to see they’re set right. Then call for HVAC technicians to investigate the furnace.
Don’t push the furnace harder than necessary
We recommend a thermostat setting around 68°F during the winter, which helps to save energy and remove strain on the furnace. If you start feeling as if you need to push the setting up higher, you’ll make the furnace put in extra work. Never try to compensate for lower heating from a furnace with higher thermostat settings—something is going wrong with the HVAC system that needs to be remedied, and pushing the furnace harder may cause even bigger problems or a breakdown.
Keep changing the furnace filter
We always emphasize the point, because people often forget it. The furnace’s filter needs to be changed regularly throughout the season. Don’t leave a dirty filter in place just because spring is around the corner.
First Choice Heating & Cooling: If your home had a voice … it would call First Choice! Call us for furnace repairs as soon as you need them.