Winter can really sink its teeth into the homes of folks throughout Chesapeake, VAand Raleigh, NC. Without a properly working heating system at the ready, your family could suffer through bitterly cold nights where chattering teeth and constant shivering is all you have to keep you warm.

But how do you know if your heating system is “properly working?” While there are many factors to consider when prepping your home for colder months, one thing is for certain:

You should not wait until winter hits to get started.

With the mercury steadily in decline, it’s about time you did all that you could to get your heating system ready for the inevitable mid-Atlantic winter.

Here are 5 tips to help you get started.

Examine and Replace Your Insulation

Even the most advanced and powerful heating system on the planet will underperform if you don’t have adequate insulation. There are many areas throughout your home where adding or replacing insulation can make a huge difference. Consider insulation for areas including your windows, to your boiler, as well as to your indoor/outdoor water pipes.

Seal Your Cracks and Gaps

Insulation can only do so much to keep cold weather out and warm weather in. If you have cracks in your home, you’re about to embark on a losing battle with Mother Nature. Even the tiniest of cracks can let in a substantial amount of cold air, not to mention force you to overspend each month on your electricity bill.

Specific areas of your home you should examine for cracks include your windows, doors, roof, and foundation. However, we strongly encourage you to hire a heating specialist to ensure that your entire home is inspected from top to bottom.

Check Your Vents and Burners

Your vents and burners need to be free of debris and uncovered in order to work optimally. Your vents may have accidentally been covered after you moved around furniture. Your burners might have accumulated dust during the summer. While you examine your burners, make sure you check for signs of misalignment or rust.

Get Your Furnace Cleaned Well Before Winter Hits

Throughout North Carolina and Virginia, heating companies are known to get very busy during the winter months. It’s best if you schedule an appointment to clean your furnace early on in the season (we’d recommend as fall hits).

By having a professional clean your furnace, you can help to prolong the life of your system and save money on your utility bills.

Schedule Annual Maintenance

Virginia and North Carolina aren’t just subjected to cold winters; we also endure hot summers as well. These extremes variances in temperature can wreak havoc on your heating system. That’s why we recommend you sign up for an annual maintenance program. This programs ensure that an HVAC specialist will come out to inspect your heating and cooling systems once (or twice) a year.

Not only do these maintenance programs include extensive cleaning and tune-ups, but they allow your HVAC specialist to inspect and test your system to determine if there are any issues that should be replaced, repaired, or monitored.

Homeowners who sign up for an annual maintenance program are far less likely to ever suffer though a failed heating system in the dead of winter.

Step Out From the Cold This Winter – Make Sure Your Heating System Is up to the Challenge

Now that the temperature is dipping down and you’ve switched from cold to hot coffee, it’s time to make sure that your heating system will be able to keep your family and home warm all winter long.

While you can conduct some do-it-yourself inspections on your home and system, we always recommend you turn to HVAC specialists, who can help you discover any underlining problems with your system, as well as offer advice on how best you can save money and remain comfortable all winter long.

Learn more about how we can help you fight the cold this winter – contact the Comfort First team today!