There’s always that first morning of fall when you walk downstairs and think, “Okay, it’s actually cold in here.”
You haven’t thought about your furnace in months. The thermostat has been firmly set to “cool” since May. But suddenly, it’s time to flip the switch.
You turn on the heat and wait.
This is not the ideal moment to discover that your heating system apparently had other plans.
Early fall gives Northern Virginia homeowners a much better opportunity to find those problems before the first real cold snap. A few simple checks now can tell you whether your system is ready for another heating season or whether it could use some attention.
Here are five things worth checking before you officially declare heating season open.
1. Start With a Fresh Air Filter
We talk about air filters a lot. There’s a reason.
Your filter has spent the summer collecting dust, pet hair, pollen, and everything else traveling through your HVAC system. If it’s dirty, your heating system starts the season at a disadvantage.
Restricted airflow can make the system work harder, affect comfort throughout your home, and contribute to higher energy use.
Check the filter before turning on your heat regularly. If it looks dirty or you can’t remember the last time you changed it, replace it.
It’s probably not going to be the most exciting thing you accomplish all weekend, but your HVAC system will appreciate it.
2. Give Your Thermostat a Test Run
Don’t wait for a freezing morning to find out whether the heat works.
Switch your thermostat from cooling to heating mode, set the temperature a few degrees above the current room temperature, and see what happens.
Your heating system should start up and begin producing warm air. Pay attention to how quickly it responds and whether the temperature coming from your vents feels appropriate.
If nothing happens, the system repeatedly starts and stops, or you’re getting cool air when you asked for heat, something may need to be checked.
Testing it in September gives you time to solve the problem without the added motivation of everyone in the house asking, “Is the heat fixed yet?”
3. Check Your Vents and Returns
Furniture has a way of migrating.
The chair that wasn’t in front of a vent last winter might be there now. A rug may have shifted over a floor register. Someone may have closed a vent because a bedroom got too warm eight months ago and completely forgotten about it.
Walk through the house and make sure supply vents and return-air grilles are open and unobstructed.
Your HVAC system relies on proper airflow throughout the house. Blocking vents or returns can affect comfort and make it more difficult for the system to do its job.
This is also a good opportunity to vacuum any dust that’s accumulated around the registers.
4. Pay Attention to That First-Heat Smell
You turn on the furnace for the first time and suddenly the house smells…different.
Don’t panic.
A mild dusty or burning smell can be normal the first time you run your heat after several months. Dust settles on components while the system isn’t being used, and you may smell it as that dust burns off. It should typically disappear relatively quickly.
What you don’t want to ignore are strong, persistent, or unusual odors.
If you smell something electrical, melting, or otherwise concerning, turn the system off and have it checked. And if you ever smell gas, leave the home and contact your gas utility or emergency services from a safe location.
There’s a difference between “the furnace hasn’t run since spring” and “something definitely isn’t right.” Trust your nose.
5. Listen to What Your System Is Telling You
You know what your HVAC system normally sounds like, even if you’ve never consciously thought about it.
That’s why a new banging, rattling, squealing, grinding, or buzzing noise tends to get your attention.
Don’t assume a strange sound will work itself out.
New noises can indicate anything from a loose component to a mechanical problem that’s beginning to develop. Catching it early may prevent a relatively small issue from turning into a much larger repair once the system is running every day.
The same goes for performance. If some rooms aren’t getting warm, the system is running much longer than you remember, or it keeps cycling on and off, those are clues worth paying attention to.
A Little Preparation Beats a Cold Surprise
Your heating system doesn’t need much attention from you during the summer. Then fall arrives, you flip a switch, and suddenly you’re asking it to work reliably for the next several months.
Giving it a quick test run before you actually need it is a pretty good trade.
Change the filter. Check the thermostat. Clear the vents. Pay attention to smells and sounds. And if something doesn’t seem right, have it looked at before Northern Virginia temperatures really start dropping.
Professional heating maintenance in Northern Virginia can also help identify worn components, performance problems, and other issues that aren’t obvious from a homeowner’s quick inspection.
Dave’s Heating and AC has been helping Northern Virginia homeowners stay comfortable for more than 50 years. If your heating system needs a little attention before the season begins, give us a call and we’ll help make sure it’s ready.
Because the first cold morning of the year should involve deciding whether you need a jacket, not discovering whether you need a furnace repair.
