Keep Your Investment Warm And Protected - Tips For Maintaining Your Home Heating System

Owning a home can be a great source of pride and accomplishment, but it's also a source of a wide variety of challenges. Home ownership puts you in a position where you're forced to be the master of a wide variety of maintenance tasks, and perhaps none of those tasks is more important than keeping your home at a comfortable temperature with high air quality.

Below, you'll find a guide to some steps you should take to maintain your home heating system. Following these suggestions will help you avoid expensive and uncomfortable breakdowns, and can also go a long way towards making you feel accomplished in the work you've put in to protect your property:

Thorough Cleaning

Perhaps the biggest enemy of a home heating system is dust. Not only does dust and dirt that's ingested by your heater get recycled into the air you breathe, but it also forces the motor in your heating element to work overtime. This uses a great deal of energy and runs the risk of causing a mechanical breakdown.

Make sure that the area surrounding your air returns is always kept as clean and clear as possible. While most furnaces are located in out of the way closets, you should also make a point to clean out those closets frequently as well, as that will stop particulate matter from continuing to invade your system.

Filter Changes

Changing the filter on a furnace is a ubiquitous task of home maintenance, and yet many people consistently neglect it. It's important to put yourself on a regular filter change schedule, as that will serve as a reminder as well as guarantee that you're making changes as per the manufacturer's recommendation.

If you're concerned about the cost involved in replacing your furnace filter, you should stock up during down times. Moderate spring and fall temperatures tend to put heating and cooling systems on standby, and retailers may be likely to drop the cost of filters during these slow times.

Belt Inspection

Some of the most susceptible parts of your furnace to wear are the various fan belts surrounding the motor. The high temperature and high friction environment that these belts work in can cause them to wear away over time, and if they fail entirely, it's possible for cascading mechanical faults to damage other areas of your furnace. Be sure to inspect them regularly and seek immediate replacements if you notice any fraying or wear.

To learn more, contact a company like Summers & Smith Cooling with any questions you have.