3 Steps to Winterize Your Heating System

Fall in Lafayette is the perfect time of year to winterize your home’s heating system. Whether you have a furnace or heat pump, taking care of it before cold weather arrives keeps your home warm and comfortable all season. Louisiana winters can be short, but our damp cold snaps put real demand on heating equipment that sat idle for months. Here are three steps to get ready.

1. Clean or Change the Air Filter

All furnaces and air-source heat pumps have air filters. Cleaning or replacing the filter before you switch from AC to heat will help the heating system perform with better efficiency. You should also clean or replace it every few weeks if you have a mini-split heating system. Otherwise, clean or replace it every one to two months during the heating season.

2. Clean the Ductwork

If your home uses ducts to transport heat from the furnace into each room, clean ductwork makes a real difference in both efficiency and air quality. You can keep the air vents and registers clean by keeping them clear of clutter and wiping them down with a rag, but it’s best to have a professional clean the inside of your ductwork at least once every two years.

3. Schedule Yearly Heater Maintenance

Annual heater maintenance is key to the performance and efficiency of your heating system. During maintenance, a technician will clean the evaporator coils on your heat pump or furnace, which keeps them from clogging and causing major flood damage to your home.

Technicians also inspect the following elements when performing annual furnace maintenance:

• electrical components
• heat exchanger
• blower motor and belt
• burners
• venting system
• gas pressure
• combustion chamber
• safety controls

We’ve been winterizing heating systems across Acadiana since 1956, and the same lesson comes up every year: the homeowners who schedule maintenance in the fall almost never have emergency calls in January. If you haven’t had your furnace or heat pump checked this year, call F & R Air Conditioning at (337) 893-5646 to schedule a winter maintenance visit before the cold sets in.