Your Furnace Isn’t Working Properly: 3 Things to Check Before Calling a Heating & Cooling Company

Don’t get stuck in the cold when your Omaha area furnace goes out this winter. Your first line of defense should always be your annual maintenance to avoid issues like these. But if you’re already in the red zone try our expert heating and cooling tips and see if they help. If not, you may be in need of a furnace tune-up. Having one will reduce furnace system breakdowns by as much as 95%, and can lower your utility bills by as much as 30%. Here’s where to start:

These little screens strip air coming into your home of dust, pollen, and other air pollutants. If they do their job correctly, they should accumulate a nice film of of this stuff. But the problem is that the more they screen out of the air, the less efficient they become. And when they are inefficient, they can also affect the efficiency of your furnace system as a whole. Clogged filters restrict airflow, straining  your furnace system’s fan motor. This, of course, results in your system requiring more energy to do its job, costing you more money in monthly utility bills. It’s a good practice to replace filters every 30 days.

If you haven’t had your annual maintenance with Getzschman Heating & Cooling, your furnace blower could be in need of some real TLC.  Your furnace blower actually runs year round, even when your furnace isn’t in use. It assists your air conditioner by blowing cool air into your house. Of course, this means your furnace blower usually accumulates lots of debris, making it less efficient. A furnace tune-up for your Omaha home will clean and refresh your blower, and keep it in good working condition until summer.

If you live in a multi-story home, this is often forgotten. Make sure your air vents are open in the colder areas of your home. Since heat rises it’s important to make sure your hot air is circulating to the lower levels of your home. Another great tip to keep lower levels warmer is to close air vents on the upper floors in rooms you use less often. This will push the heated air to the lower level of your home first. Many times, running your fan in the “On” position during the coldest days actually helps balance out the airflow as well.

Call the Omaha heating experts at Getzschman Heating & Cooling to keep your furnace system humming throughout the coldest and harshest months of the year at 402-721-6301 .