Summer may be in full swing, and the last thing you want to even think about is your heater. But, as Ned Stark was fond of grumbling, “Winter is coming. And only the most efficient home heating systems will survive.” (Okay, he didn’t actually say that second part.) Here are a few key points to keep in mind as you begrudgingly look ahead to the cold.
Check Your Ducts. First things first. You need to make sure your ducts, seals, and insulation are all in good shape. Like a game of Red Rover, home heating systems are only as efficient as their weakest points, and if there is a weak point, the warm air will find it and bleed through. Have an inspection done to determine where the leaks might be, so you can start with a closed, tight system, before you you even think about looking at your heater.
Okay, Now Look at Your Heater. A great place to start is a simple question of age — just how old is that heater in your basement? Older home heating systems (10 or more years old) are almost guaranteed to be less efficient that more modern units, and you would benefit almost immediately from a replacement. However, if your unit is less than 10 years old, you may have a slightly more challenging calculation on your hands.
Whip Out the Ol Calculator. Again, if you don’t have your system inspected, you won’t know the problem spots. Have an HVAC professional check your unit and see which components are in good shape and which are in less-than-good shape. Tally up the furnace repair cost, and then stack that up against the potential energy savings if you went ahead and fixed it all. Then tally those numbers against the cost to replace your heater entirely, and the energy savings from that. Whichever one costs less, do it. Your heating bill will thank you.
Your local furnace repair company can do much more for you than simply bailing you out when your heater goes kaput. By inspecting home heating systems now, they help homeowners avoid costly and untimely repairs in the future and, more importantly, help keep families warm and comfortable when the north wind blows. Learn more: climatepartners.com
