When the winter season arrives and outdoor temperatures drop, air conditioning systems take a long winter’s nap while heating equipment works around the clock. Homeowners across the Columbus, Ohio area rely on their furnaces, heat pumps, or boiler heating systems for comfort and safety throughout the cold months.
We are in an El Nino pattern this winter, which tends to bring milder temperatures and less snowfall. However local meteorologists say you can't ever count out a cold winter in Central Ohio.
"In El Niño seasons since 1950, Central Ohio has tended to be warmer-than-average in December, slightly cooler-than-average in January, and well below average in February. We tend to see a significant warm-up again in March," says Marshall McPeek, Columbus meteorologist at WSYX-TV. "That means, overall, the three-month winter season ends up averaging below normal."
To ensure your heating system operates dependably and your cooling equipment stays safe during its seasonal break, it’s important that you know how to prepare your heating and cooling system for winter. The right steps will help your furnace, heat pump, or boiler operate reliably while providing your family a safe, comfortable indoor environment.
Buckeye Heating, Cooling & Plumbing helps area homeowners prep their HVAC systems for the heating season ahead. Our NATE-certified professionals share how to protect sidelined cooling equipment while readying heating units for several months of heavy use.
No matter what type of heating system you use, whether it’s a furnace, heat pump, or boiler, a maintenance tune-up is critical to its reliable, ongoing performance this winter. Make sure you schedule a heating tune-up with your HVAC company, preferably in the fall before it’s time to use the system.
Boilers and furnaces require one yearly tune-up, while heat pumps need two tune-ups as they provide heating and cooling throughout the year.
If you have a forced air heating system like a conventional furnace or heat pump, filter changes are an essential part of system upkeep. The air filter traps particle pollution so it doesn’t make its way into the equipment, where it could settle and cause damage or stress to components.
Filter changes should be performed on a regular basis, every month to every 12 months depending on the filter in use and conditions unique to your home. If you haven’t installed a new filter recently, you should check the filter before the winter season and determine if a change is needed.
Remember, your HVAC system sees more use in the winter than it does during times of the year where the weather is mild and less heating or cooling is needed. For this reason, it’s normal for filters to fill at a faster rate than during those times – if you find you need to change your air filter more frequently in the winter, that is completely normal. Check the filter each month during the winter season so you can assess its condition and decide when replacement is needed.
Running your heating system on a dirty filter can cause many problems over the winter. Components of your heating equipment can become stressed and be damaged due to dust and dirt settling inside the unit. A clogged filter restricts airflow, forcing your furnace or heat pump to consume more energy to move heated air into your living spaces. You may notice indoor comfort control challenges as a result, and your heating system may even shut down due to overheating from a dirty filter.
Dry air can be a problem in Columbus homes over the winter, creating the need for added moisture. Whole home humidifiers provide the necessary humidity to keep levels balanced in the proper range throughout this season. Without a reliable humidifier, your home may not receive the added moisture necessary to counteract dry air problems. Damage to the humidifier and its components could result in leaks and water damage to your home, as well as mold growth.
If you have a whole home humidifier installed to work with your HVAC system, perform maintenance ahead of heating season so that it is ready to perform when you need it.
The inner workings of your heating unit will be cleaned during your maintenance tune-up, but it’s a good idea to give the exterior cabinet a good cleaning on your own, too. Whether your indoor unit is a furnace or air handler, cleaning its exterior will eliminate particles that could make their way inside the unit.
Inspecting the exterior of your heating equipment will allow you to address potential safety issues and reduce the risk of a fire over the winter months.
When you’re ready to start heating your home, you’ll need to adjust your thermostat settings from the previous cooling schedules used in the summer and fall months.
Seasonal changes often coincide with schedule changes for members of the household, so you’ll want to account for these differences as well when you program winter heating schedules.
If you have a split system that uses an air conditioner for cooling or a heat pump for year-round heating and cooling, you have both indoor and outdoor HVAC equipment to tend to. The air conditioner or heat pump is the unit that sits outside the home and connects to the indoor furnace or air handler via refrigerant lines that run between this equipment.
Air conditioners that will sit dormant over the winter require some care to prevent damage – same with heat pumps, but they also require attention to ensure good operation throughout the season.
Some homes in the Columbus, Ohio area use boiler heating systems and hot-water radiators – this equipment is very common in the area’s historic residences. Before you start using your boiler for heat this winter, you should bleed the radiators so they operate more efficiently this season. Bleeding radiator valves frees trapped air in the system that can disrupt even heating.
There are a few different signs to watch for so you know there is air trapped in your radiators or the pipes running between the boiler and radiators, and that bleeding is necessary. If your pipes or radiators create a gurgling sound when the boiler is on, this indicates air trapped within. Uneven warmth from the radiator is another sign it needs to be bled – if the radiator itself has hot and cold spots, like warmth at the bottom of the unit while the top stays cold, this means there is air trapped inside.
Many Columbus homes have fireplaces, and many area homeowners enjoy using the fireplace for warmth and ambiance over the winter season. Before using your fireplace this season, you should have it professionally inspected and cleaned if needed by an accredited chimney sweep. According to the National Fire Protection Association NFPA 211 standards, chimneys and fireplaces, as well as their vents should be inspected once per year at minimum. Inspection checks that the proper clearances are maintained, the structure is sound and identifies any creosote deposits that should be removed before use.
Creosote is a kind of soot that can build up in a chimney from burning wood in the fireplace. If creosote buildup reaches a certain point, it can block smoke from exiting the chimney properly cause gases like carbon monoxide to back up into the home, and even catch fire. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends open masonry fireplaces receive sweeping when creosote deposits reach 1/8-inch thickness. A glazed system should be swept sooner. If you use a manufactured fireplace with an enclosed firebox, have the chimney and fireplace swept whenever there is noticeable soot buildup to protect the integrity of these materials from acidic creosote deposits.
Every home in the Columbus area needs to have working smoke alarms installed. Any home with gas appliances, fireplaces, or even attached garages also need working carbon monoxide detectors. Before the winter season starts, test these safety devices and verify they work correctly so they can alert your family to any dangers in your home.
Replace faulty devices as necessary and continue to test them over the season.
To keep your furnace or heat pump running efficiently this winter, all supply and return air vents throughout your home need to be open and unobstructed. You may have heard a common HVAC myth about closing vents in unused areas to conserve energy – don’t do this, as it could cause damage to your heating equipment. Your heating system was designed to produce heated air for delivery into all spaces with vents, so blocking one or many of them can cause too much pressure in the ducts as well as overheating in your heating unit.
Take a walk around the interior of your home, checking the vents in every room – verify each vent is open and isn’t obstructed by items in the house.
If you use a forced air furnace or heat pump for heating in winter, check your home’s ducts before winter arrives to ensure your heating system is equipped with an efficient air distribution system. Tears in flex ducts, loose joints, and disconnected duct runs can cause heat to leak out of the duct system, which wastes energy as your furnace or heat pump must work extra to generate more heat and make up for these losses. Finding these duct problems now means they can be corrected right away so your heating system will be supported by efficient ducts when it’s time to add warmth to your home.
Duct leaks are a leading culprit of heating inefficiencies in the average home, in Columbus and across the country. Losses of 20% to 30% are common in most homes, and typically homeowners have no idea these losses are occurring due to the location of ducts, which is largely inaccessible in many homes. Heat produced by your furnace or heat pump spills into unheated areas and doesn’t make it into your living spaces, and cool air from these unheated zones can seep into the duct system and lower the temperature of your heated air before it arrives in its destination. Both heat losses and cold air infiltration force the heating system to consume more energy to make up for this waste.
If you notice damage to any of the ductwork you are able to access and inspect, note the problem, and contact your HVAC company for duct sealing services. If you cannot access your ducts, don’t worry – HVAC professionals are able to test for duct leaks in any area of your home and seal them shut using efficient methods that will help your duct system retain heat and more efficiently serve both your heating system and your living areas.
Whether your home is heated by a furnace, boiler, or heat pump, don’t wait until the first cold day of the season to fire it up or you could find yourself stuck in the cold and full of regret. The busiest day of the year for heating repairs is that first cold day, as many area homeowners go to turn on their furnaces or other types of heaters and find that they either don’t heat properly or don’t come on at all. If you find yourself in this group, you may be waiting awhile for repairs due to the shear volume of service calls most HVAC companies are handling at this time.
If you’ve had your annual heating maintenance tune-up performed in the fall, your furnace, heat pump, or boiler has been tested at least once ahead of the season. Even though you’ve had a professional test your heater, it’s wise to do so a few more times before cold weather moves in.
We suggest starting up your heating unit and letting it run a cycle at least three times before it gets cold outside. Make sure the system comes on when it’s supposed to and runs a full heating cycle, achieving the desired temperatures in your living areas before shutting down. It’s important to not only make sure the furnace, boiler, or heat pump turns on but runs properly and heats your home effectively – there are various mechanical issues that could occur in your unit which don’t prevent the equipment from turning on.
When testing the operation and performance of your heating unit ahead of the winter season, we also recommend you listen closely as your system runs. Strange sounds as your furnace, boiler, or heat pump starts, cycles, and/or shuts down can be signs of performance problems or faulty parts in the system which need to be fixed before your heating unit is able to operate at its highest level.
These are noises to listen for as you take your furnace, heat pump, or boiler for a pre-season test drive:
Maintenance tune-ups are a great tool for identifying issues present in your heating system, allowing you to schedule the needed repairs before it’s time to start using your furnace, heat pump, or boiler around the clock. Don’t wait to make these repairs – even though your system may still run with known flaws present, using the heating unit will likely cause those problems to worsen. It may become more and more difficult to keep your home heated to your liking, and your system will sustain more damage that can be more complicated and costly to correct. If you ignore these problems long enough, repairs may no longer be an option and your heating system may be damaged to the point that it needs to be replaced.
If you remember experiencing challenges heating your home or funny sounds coming from your heater this past winter, address these issues before the next heating season. It’s better to tackle heating repairs before winter arrives for multiple reasons – your technician likely isn’t as busy during the fall and can tend to your needs without much wait, and you’ll know your system is in top shape in time for cold weather’s arrival. You’ll avoid a long wait for repairs once winter does touch down and you won’t be stuck paying for emergency service to get your heat back on if your system fails entirely.
The same goes for heating system upgrades – have new equipment installed ahead of winter. If you know it’s time to replace your furnace, boiler, or heat pump, doing so in the off-season has many advantages. You’ll have more time to research your equipment options and make a purchase decision you’re comfortable with, not one where you feel stuck settling in the middle of winter for the sake of getting the heat back on in your home as soon as possible. You may also get the benefit of installation promotions that save you money, as often HVAC contractors offer deals in the off-season to keep their teams working.
If you use a forced air furnace or heat pump system for heating, your system includes a blower assembly which has the job of pushing heated air from the heating unit, through the ducts, and into rooms across your home. The blower assembly sits inside your furnace or air handler and includes a motor and fan. Newer units typically are direct drive, meaning these components are directly connected. Older models are often belt driven, meaning there is a belt that links both components and allows the motor to turn the fan.
If your blower assembly is belt driven, the belt can experience issues over time that prevent the blower from running efficiently or prevent it from running altogether. The belt may loosen or start to fray as it wears out and slip from the pulley track. The belt may even break entirely, so the motor cannot turn the fan at all.
To avoid performance issues and lack of blower function from your heating system, check the belt prior to winter’s start.
If your Columbus home is equipped with a high-efficiency condensing furnace, a condensate drain system is part of the unit. This is because gases condense into liquid form within the unit, whereas they exit other types of furnaces as a vapor through the flue. For this moisture to properly leave the furnace, the condensate drain system must be free of obstruction – or else moisture can back up, causing the system to shut down as well as water damage to surrounding areas of your home.
The condensate drain line is PVC piping that extends off the furnace unit. The condensate trap can become blocked, preventing moisture from exiting the furnace.
Some homes use liquid propane or heating oil to power their furnaces over the winter months. These types of heating fuels are stored in a tank on the property and require filling to maintain the home’s reserve of heating fuel.
Prior to winter, it’s important to check fuel levels in the tank and schedule a fuel delivery if needed when reserves drop to a certain point.
Running out of fuel reserves in the middle of winter is inconvenient, especially when it takes you by surprise. Stock up on heating fuel in the fall to ensure you have ample fuel needed to heat your home through the season and avoid the wait for refueling, as well as additional charges from your fuel company.
To estimate your heating fuel need this winter, you can work off these guidelines:
Make sure you don’t run out of heating fuel by monitoring the tank gauge regularly. There are also new technologies that provide remote monitoring so you can assess your heating fuel reserves at your convenience. You don’t want to run out of fuel entirely, as this creates additional problems. Liquid propane tanks require inspection before refilling if they become completely empty, because moisture may accumulate and cause rust that could lead to a leak in the tank. Running an oil tank too low can cause moisture infiltration, leading to rust and possible bacterial growth inside, both of which can clog oil supply lines and reduce the efficiency of the furnace.
If it has been difficult to evenly heat all areas of your home, you may want to invest in a zoning system for your heating and cooling system before the start of winter. Zoning technology allows you to split the home into individual zones and control these climates separately. This is a big change over using one thermostat and one setting to provide comfort in all areas of the home.
When zoning equipment is installed, individual thermostats are placed in each zone, so occupants can control operation of the furnace to provide the precision heat needed in this area without impacting the other zones. Dampers installed in ducts route heating to only the areas where it is needed without increasing temperatures in other spaces.
Zoning systems are excellent tools for solving common comfort challenges in the house, such as a hot upstairs and cold downstairs. They can also be used to give each household member the ability to set their space to their personal climate preference without affecting another’s comfort, ending the thermostat war in your home. What’s even better is that use of a zoning system can improve heating efficiency and conserve energy so your heating bills aren’t as high.
Help your home retain more heat and keep cold air out this season by upping the insulation. With more insulation, your home is better able to keep the heat produced by your furnace inside, so your furnace doesn’t have to work extra in order to make up for energy losses.
Adding insulation can be a DIY project or a professional one, depending on your target areas as well as your comfort level. To improve heating efficiency, it may help to add insulation to the attic as well as below floors. Insulating ductwork can also help the duct system retain heat as air cycles from the heating unit to your living areas.
When the seasons change, it’s time to change the direction of your ceiling fans, too. Set fans to spin clockwise during the winter months, which generates an updraft. Warm air gathered around ceiling level is pushed back down to the spaces that are occupied so people can be warmed by this air instead of it being wasted up high.
To change ceiling fan direction, there is a switch on the fan’s motor casing. Moving the direction of the switch causes the blades to spin the opposite direction if you had them set to rotate counterclockwise for summer comfort. Remember, turn off fans whenever a room is not in use, as their benefits are only helpful when people are present to feel them – otherwise, running fans is just a waste of electricity.
Buckeye Heating, Cooling & Plumbing helps homeowners in Columbus, Ohio and the surrounding areas get their home heating and cooling equipment in shape for the cold winter season ahead. To schedule professional services such as a heating system tune-up or repairs before winter, give us a call today!