The new year is a chance to reinvent ourselves and make changes to better our lives moving forward. One way you can do this for your home is to leave behind some old heating habits that may cost more than you realize.
Waiting to Schedule Preventive Maintenance
One of the biggest mistakes you can make for your home is waiting to schedule maintenance for your boiler or heating system until the temperature drops. Maintenance calls typically start coming in towards the end of summer and beginning of fall. If you wait until winter to schedule your maintenance, you may end up left in the cold as you wait for busy queues to die down and techs to have availability.
How often do I need maintenance?
You should schedule annual maintenance for your major systems once a year. If you use central air conditioning and a furnace, each system will need to be checked once per year—typically a few months before you plan to use your system.
If you use a heat pump, you’ll typically want to have your system inspected twice a year (or once every six months). You can do some simple maintenance on your heat pump by cleaning the air filter every few months.
Oil boilers need annual cleaning and operate best immediately after their cleaning, so scheduling maintenance earlier will keep your system running more efficiently, longer.
Exclusively Using an Alternative Heating Source
Fireplaces and portable heaters are great ways to warm up an individual room, but they can’t compare to other heaters that warm your entire home. If you’re using a fireplace, you can drop the temperature down to save some energy (no lower than 55 degrees), but fully turning off your heating system isn’t recommended.
Bottom line: Using your heating system appropriately cuts back on your energy costs and keeps your family comfortable for a fraction of the price. Keep an eye out for our early bird specials for AC tune-ups and maintenance later this spring to make sure your air conditioner is ready to go by summer! Contact us online or by phone at (207) 747-1210 to speak with a member of our team.