How To Get Your Heater Ready for Winter in New Hampshire

Everyone who lives in New Hampshire knows that to get through a long, cold winter, you’ll need some good heating. That’s why getting your heater ready for winter is one of the best things you can do to ensure a comfy cold season. Here’s how you can ensure your heater will keep you warm through the chilly days and stay safe in the process!

How to Get Your Heater Ready for Winter in New Hampshire

Here are the steps to getting your heater ready for winter in NH:

1. Keep the unit clean so that it can run efficiently all winter long.
2. Make sure the vents and surrounding area are clear so you don’t block airflow.
3. Cover up the condenser to protect it from harsh winter weather.
4. Make sure the unit works long before you need to use it.
5. Heating appliances can be dangerous, so make sure you know how to stay safe.
6. Schedule your maintenance service ahead of time to avoid having to wait for an appointment.

Make Sure It’s Clean

To make sure you stay on top of your indoor air quality and heater efficiency, make sure your heating unit is as clean as can be before operating it.

Generally speaking, you need to change your HVAC filter every few months. By the end of the season, your filter will have accumulated too much dust, grime, dander, and other particles to effectively filter your air. Take time to discover what kind of filter your unit requires and get one at your neighborhood hardware or home improvement store to breathe the purest air possible.

Before turning on the heat, we advise cleaning the vents and registers around your house. By clearing the vents up, you prevent debris from entering your air.

Ensure Proper Airflow

Proper airflow is one of the most important ways to get your heater ready for winter. It plays a role in not just the effectiveness of your heater but its safety as well.

To get the air flowing properly and get your heater ready for winter, open up the vents fully and check for obstructions inside or outside vents. Remove any items that are close to or on top of your heater before turning it on. Boxes, furniture, decor, bins, and other items may be blocking vents around your house.

This is especially important because the risk of a fire increases when there are objects close to the heating vent. Not only will you increase your unit’s efficiency: you’ll be keeping yourself and your loved ones safe.

Protect The Condenser From Ice

Test It Out

Turn on your heater and test it out before using it to make sure it functions correctly. Wait for roughly a minute after setting the thermostat to “heat”. Your fanned air should warm up and you should hear the device turn on. To make sure your unit is ready to go, let the heat run for a while. Contact us if, for any reason, your heat won’t turn on.

Know the Safety Tips

Did you know that the most common cause of fatal home fires is heating appliances? In fact, home fires happen more often in winter than any other time of the year. As winter draws near, it’s critical to understand what you can do to prevent this danger in your home.

Here are some key safety tips to follow when it comes to heating this winter:

• Do not start a gas appliance if you smell gas in your home or coming from a gas appliance. 
  Call the local fire department or gas company and leave your home right away.
• Keep everything that can burn (like paper, paint, wood, fabric, etc.) at least 3 feet away from furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, wood stoves, wood furnaces, water heaters, and space heaters.
• Keep children at least 3 feet away from open flames and heating devices at all times.
• Install and regularly test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Turn off portable heaters before leaving the room or falling asleep.
• Have a certified, qualified professional install and maintain your appliances. Everything must be installed up to code and the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Always have a professional annually service and inspect your heating appliances.

Schedule a Tune-Up in the Fall

We always recommend getting your AC tuned up in the spring so that you’re set for when it gets hot and don’t have to deal with busy contractors’ wait times. So, surprise surprise… we recommend the same thing when it comes to getting your heater ready for winter!

Scheduling your heating maintenance service in the fall, before it gets too cold, is best so that you’re ready for that chilly New Hampshire weather. By scheduling early, you’re stopping problems before they occur and protecting yourself and your family’s safety.

Our 15-Point HVAC Maintenance Service

On top of cleaning your system and replacing the filter, we ensure your peace of mind each winter by:

1. Checking your heating system’s effectiveness by operating it and the thermostat
2. Conducting a limit switch safety controls check
3. Examining burner tubes and burners
4. Taking a look at 24v and 120v circuits and wiring
5. Checking motors and wiring
6. Capacitor evaluation and rating
7. Clean the pressure switch tube and test the pressure switch
8. Condensate pump evaluation and drain clearing
9. Examine the gas valve and the ignition parts
10. Examine the exhaust venting
11. Conduct a safety camera inspection of the heat exchanger
12. Change the standard 1-inch air filter
13. Check the gas pressure in the inlet and manifold
14. Check the temperature rise and airflow
15. Carry out a test of combustion efficiency

At Live Free, we know your heater makes your home a great place to be in cold weather. Schedule your 15-point maintenance service with Live Free Heating & Cooling today so you can stay cozy and comfortable all winter long!