How to Stop Your Heater from Wearing Out This Winter

Background Image
It’s another cold winter in Oak Grove, MN—when most of us could not imagine going a day without a heater in the home. When a heating system breaks down, pipes can potentially freeze and burst. And, of course, your family members will not be happy, and they may not be safe. We want to help prevent these scenarios with some helpful advice about preventing the overexertion of your furnace or boiler. Follow our tips, and increase your chances of making it through the winter without trouble.

Use It Less

One way to prevent your heater from becoming overworked? Use it less! That doesn’t mean you have to shut off the heating system completely. It simply means you should take steps that allow the heater to work less and prevent overexertion. Here are a few ways to accomplish this:
  • Seal air leaks around doors or windows. Use weather stripping or caulk where appropriate to prevent heat from moving right out of the home and forcing the heater to run for longer.
  • Insulate the attic, around ducts, and elsewhere in the home.
  • Turn down the thermostat as low as is comfortable for everyone in the home. Adjust the temperature by about 10-15 degrees when you leave the home for even less strain on the heater and greater energy savings.
  • Change the air filter each month. A dirty filter reduces airflow, which could cause the heater to become overworked.
  • Close the fireplace damper. If you use a fireplace, make sure to open the damper in the chimney before use and close it afterwards. This keeps heat from escaping through the chimney.

Schedule Maintenance

Annual heating maintenance visits help a heating system to run at peak efficiency and may also help to prevent breakdowns. With this service, a technician comes to your home and fine-tunes the heater, checking for issues along the way that may require urgent attention. That way, you’re not surprised by a broken heater when it’s working hard in the middle of winter.

Call Air Mechanical, Inc. for heating maintenance and repairs in Oak Grove, MN.

Air Mechanical is committed to compliance with its obligations under all applicable state and federal laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, familial status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, public assistance, local human rights commission activity or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.