Cold weather ushers in the holiday season but also brings worries about high heating bills and the health of your furnace or heat pump. Sunset Heating & Cooling is here to help keep your family comfortable by performing seasonal maintenance on your heating system and repairing problems quickly. Sunset also has some tips to keep your heating system functioning at its best and lower your home heating bills this winter.
Regular maintenance is critical to your HVAC system. You have your oil in your vehicle changed regularly and check the air in your tires, but how often do you think about tuning up your heating system? You can perform some maintenance yourself by vacuuming vents, checking them for obstructions and changing your furnace filters. A dirty filter makes your furnace work harder while blocking the extra heat. Changing your filters every three months will help your furnace function efficiently. Sunset Heating and Cooling carries most sizes of filters. Call us if you’ve changed your filter and cleaned your vents and still aren’t getting a good flow of heat.
Check your windows for drafts. You may need to replace or repair screens or replace dry-rotted weather stripping around windows and sliding glass doors. Heavy drapes can help keep the cold air out of the room. If the cold is coming in around outside doors, try a draft stopper or door snake. They come in a variety of materials, from vinyl to fabric, and either sit in front of your door or slide underneath it to make your door as air-tight as possible.
Close off unused rooms and close the heating vents in those rooms. There’s no need to heat an empty guest bedroom or the laundry room when it’s not being used.
The kids don’t like to hear it, but putting on a sweatshirt and lowering the thermostat a couple of degrees can noticeably lower your heating bills. Call or email Sunset Heating & Cooling for information about programmable thermostats. They’re a great way to keep up with heat fluctuations throughout the day and night and to make sure the heat is turned down when you’re away from home. Set your thermostat to automatically lower the temperature at bedtime and turn up the heat in the morning.
If your furnace fails or it’s time for a new furnace, call Sunset Heating & Cooling for excellent service during regular hours, weekends and holidays.
