5 Ways to Prep Your Furnace for Winter

When the cold weather comes around – the nose and lip biting cold weather – your furnace will be your closest ally. However, if you don’t take certain steps to prepare your furnace for the harsh weather, you could be dealing with a night without cold – maybe even a few nights. There are usually about 7 tips to cut energy use and one of those is making sure your furnace is ready for the wintertime. Not only is prepping your furnace important to remain warm and comfortable, but it is also important so that you aren’t spending a fortune on your energy bills. Here are five ways to prep your furnace for winter.

1. Start shopping for furnace filters now. In the few months before the cold weather and harsh weather systems come around, is when you should start to accrue your stock pile of furnace filers. You can find them online or even at your local hardware store. They are often inexpensive to begin with, so building a stockpile won’t set you back too far. When it comes down to it, you are really going to need them, because in the wintertime your furnace filter will need to be changed more regularly.
2. Change the filter now. Before the winter hits, you might want to pop in a new filter. Chances are that if you haven’t in a while, that you need to. When the winter really starts to hit, you will need to change the filter once every two weeks or so. During any other time of the year, you can usually get away with changing them once a month. The filter is an important component of your furnace system that blocks large particles from going through the furnace. If you don’t change the filter, it could work less efficiently, which means a colder house and higher energy bills.
3. Make sure to move items out of the way of the furnace. Oftentimes, people place blankets and other household items next to the furnace. However, furnace closets are only meant for furnaces. By not clearing the closet, you could open yourself up to the risk of a house fire, which could be especially devastating in the wintertime. So, make sure to find another closet for your linens and bric-a-brac.
4. Refill the gas in your furnace sooner rather than later. If your furnace takes gas, you might want to have them fill up now opposed to during the height of the winter. Not only can gas be more expensive, but it could take longer for the gas to arrive, which could literally leave you in the cold. So, it might be important to do this in advance. You might even want to keep an extra stock pile on hand.
5. Install a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is a devastating gas that can be deadly in high concentrations. If you have an old furnace, you might benefit from having a carbon monoxide detector. Simply install the detector near the furnace, so that you can enjoy the winter in peace and comfort.