With
Arctic freezes and Polar vortexes around us, it is no surprise that people face
dreary winters with threat to not just travel and work, but also maintenance of
precious appliances. To avoid emergency and very expensive heating repairs when
temperatures dip, it is important to ensure that your furnaces and heating
systems are in the best working condition. If they are not, it will result in
an unhealthy atmosphere and extremely cruel living conditions. And the blame
and responsibility to ensure their proper maintenance falls on the woman of the
house. There are some things that the woman should remember to avoid last
minute repairs or being blind sighted by the cold.
Throw Out the Old; Bring in the New
Ladies,
if you move into an old home, old but sturdy, then you should keep in mind that
the appliances and utilities might not be in the best shape. So after repairing
the structure of the house, you must pay attention to the furnace. You might
not need a new furnace, but you might have to do some repair work on it.
Quality Control
If you
have to buy a new furnace, then you must check its quality. There are several
factors that play a key role in determining the quality level of the furnace;
BTU level, existence of an air filter and humidifier and the brand. Some
furnaces have an air filter fit into them. An air filter is especially helpful
if you or anyone in the house, especially young kids, are allergic to dust or
small particles in the air. A build-in humidifier is very important as it eases
the dryness in the air and static in electricity.
Before Buying
Before
you go out into the market and buy that essential furnace, make sure that you
conduct a thorough check in your own home to see the type of construction. This
will help determine the type of furnace you purchase. Check whether you have a
natural gas line, a propane tank or an oil tank and the source of electricity,
as well its intensity. Is your house in an area where there is a problem with
the electric connection?
AFUE
This is
not just another complex acronym without an explanation. AFUE or Annual Fuel
Utilization Efficiency is a federal government requirement, which rates
equipment for efficiency. The higher the rating, the better the model. Gas
furnaces are rated for AFUE based upon the amount of heat used to warm your
home from burned fuel. A 90% furnace will use 90% of the available heat to warm
you. 10% of the heat is vented outside. Older furnaces are often as low as 60%
efficient. So they need to be repaired to bring their efficiency up.
Types of Furnaces
There are
three types - a single-stage, 2-stage and variable-speed. The 2-stage and
variable speed furnaces give greater humidity control, quieter operation and better
air circulation and temperature distribution throughout the house. So if you
have an older version that needs constant repair, it would suit you better to
replace it with a more modern version.
Do It Yourself
Some DIY
tips include preventive maintenance of the furnace. Always check the filter and
do it periodically, especially before the winter season. This will ensure
optimal energy efficiency and air quality. Ensure that the thermostat is set to
'heat' and is a few degrees above the room temperature and check whether the
fan works. If it does not come on, then the unit might be frozen and needs to
be checked at the level of the main furnace.
Ladies,
remember that you can do all the prevention by yourself, without having to hire
a mechanic. But if you have even an ounce of a doubt, a little bit of help can go a long way.
