Fall/Winter Maintenance Checklist

In central Arizona, winter tends to arrive late and leave early. Even though freezing temperatures are extremely rare, winter does arrive every year, and your furnace needs service and preventative maintenance every winter. Here are five checklist tips to get you through the winter.

1. 1. Interior air qualityInterior air collects dust, allergens, and other pollutants. Does your furniture need dusting occasionally? The fine particles that you collect when you dust are the same that are circulating in your interior air day after day. In most cases, the quality of your interior air is much poorer than outside air. Your heating and cooling technician can measure your indoor air quality and recommend methods to clean it and reduce harmful pollutants.

      The first line of defense against dirty indoor air is your air filter. Change your furnace filter frequently, use a high-quality air filter, and change it often. If you remove a filter and it is noticeably darker from accumulated dust, you aren’t changing it as often as you should.

Over the years, dust and other pollutants accumulate in ductwork. Professional duct cleaning and sealing will remove years of accumulated grime and improve the quality of the air that is circulating in your home. Devices can be installed in ductwork to kill bacteria, viruses, mold, and other harmful materials in your air. Ask your technician for recommendations.

1. Thermostat settingsA good rule of thumb for a thermostat is to set it at 68 degrees for the winter and 76 degrees for the summer. In winter, many homeowners choose to lower their thermostats overnight. Every one degree higher in winter or lower in summer will add about 1% to your utility bill. A programmable or smart thermostat will adjust the settings to accommodate your daily and weekly routine. In most cases, programmable and smart thermostats pay for themselves through reduced utility costs.
2. Furnace maintenanceAn often-overlooked way in which programmable thermostats pay for themselves is that your furnace will run less often, usually giving it additional years of service before needing to be replaced. Regular tune-ups and preventative maintenance will also prolong the efficient operating life of your furnace. Annual service plans pay for themselves, but equally important is the peace of mind that you are not going to have a system breakdown on a cold night or when your family is gathering for the holidays.
3. Unpleasant smellsWhen furnaces get turned on for the first time after not being used for months, it is not uncommon for homeowners to notice a burning smell. It is likely that the smell comes from the dust that has accumulated over the months of not being used. As the dust burns off, it emits a burning plastic smell. Allow 10-15 minutes for the dust to burn off, and the smell should go away. If the smell lingers longer, there might be a different problem and you should turn the furnace off and call Semper Fi Heating & Cooling. They will send a technician to check it out.
4. InsulationGood insulation, properly installed, helps keep the cold air out in the winter and hot air out in the summer. Inadequate insulation—along with windows and doors that are not sealed properly—lets in the outside air and causes your heating and cooling system to work harder year-round. Good insulation allows your furnace and air conditioner to work less and with fewer repairs for longer.

For more information about furnace problems, tune-ups, or other heating and cooling problems, call the expert technicians at Semper Fi Heating & Cooling at 480-616-3636.

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