What You Should Do Before Turning on Your Heater

When a cold front hits, it’s tempting to just turn on the heat. But wait, before you turn your heater, you need to take care of a few maintenance issues first. Turning on your heating and air conditioning system without taking these steps pulls out built-up dust and debris, causing your system to work harder, which could cause it to develop mechanical problems. Here are some simple steps to take before you fire up your heater for the season.

6 Steps Before Turning on Your Heating and Air Conditioning System

1. Have pre-season maintenance performed. By having a qualified Orlando air conditioning service company out to inspect your system, you can ensure that it’s in good condition before the heating season starts and that any potential problems are caught before they become a big, expensive problem.
2. Replace your air filter if needed. Air filters keep dirt, dust and allergens out of your home, improving your indoor air quality. If the filter is dirty, it can’t properly do its job removing those particles. A dirty filter also makes your system work harder, leading to costly repairs and shortening its lifespan.
3. Remove obstructions that could limit air flow around your heating and air conditioning system. To heat air effectively, your system needs to be able to move air through without having to fight for air flow. You should also make sure any flammable items are removed from the area at this time.
4. Inspect your registers and vents. Has furniture been moved and is now blocking your registers and vents? If it has been, it should be moved out of the way. Unless otherwise instructed, you should also open all the vents and registers, even in unused rooms, to ensure the system is working efficiently.
5. Check your carbon monoxide detector, smoke detector and thermostat batteries. You want to make sure that your home is safe and can provide an effective warning in case of a fire, and if you’re checking one, you may as well check all three devices to ensure they’ll work effectively through the winter.
6. Take a test run. Before a serious cold front, turn the system on and make sure it’s heating your home effectively. If there are any problems, contact a professional service company for assistance.

With these steps completed, your heating and air conditioning system is good to go. If you’re short on time or aren’t comfortable performing these tasks, please contact us with questions or to make an appointment. At Gembecki Mechanical Services, we’ve been servicing residential and commercial air conditioning Orlando residents for more than 20 years.