Get your heating system ready now, before snow blankets NYC

Get your heating system ready now, before snow blankets NYC


Get your heating system ready now, before snow blankets NYC

Don’t let your heating system sputter and die during one of those inevitable cold spells that invade New York City and Long Island. Your family, even the dog and cat, will be glaring at you.

Better to get a pre-winter check of your system now, when a trained technician will make sure that everything is working well in your furnace or boiler. This includes cleaning and a thorough check for parts that may be failing.

At Light House HVAC our trained, insured technicians can expertly service residential and commercial furnaces, boilers, chimneys and duct and other heating-related systems. This maintenance check will save you money in the long run because it maximizes your system’s efficiency and extends its life – and it reduces the chance of a breakdown.

Furnace Checkup

In a furnace inspection, the technician looks at the inner workings for damaged or worn parts that need to be replaced or tweaked.

Along with cleaning the furnace and looking for leaks, the technician will ask and answer many questions, including:

• Is the thermostat calibrated properly? Dirt in the thermostat, for instance, can knock it off-kilter, meaning that you’re getting 68 degrees or 73 degrees when you want 71 degrees.
• Is the condensate drain plugged? If so, this can lead to algae and mold, a clogged drain and water leaks inside your house.
• Do the connections need tightening?
• How about the current and voltage?
• Do the fan blower and other parts need lubrication?
• Is the system working correctly and at its best possible level?

He also will make sure you don’t have any items too close to the furnace or blocking your ducts and vents.

Boiler Checkup

When preparing a boiler for winter usage, the technician has many issues to consider on both the fireside and the waterside.

Combustion must be analyzed, boiler feed water tested and the fuel source inspected. This includes checking for leaks and verifying the pressure and supply.

Cleaning the fireside will improve efficiency, so it’s essential to remove debris and soot. In addition, the technician will look for excessive cracking in the refractory and wear and tear on gaskets.

Along with cleaning waterside surfaces and parts, the technician also checks pipes, wiring, burner baffle, shutter, controls, gaskets and other components.

Two tips for your heating system:

Check filters every month for dirt that may be lessening the system’s efficiency and forcing your heater to work harder – and use more energy. An easy way to remember this task: Check the filter the day you get your utility bill.

Consider a programmable thermostat if you don’t yet have one. It will pay results immediately, making your system heat more efficiently and reducing unneeded utility costs.

As Angie’s List, a consumer-oriented site, put it: “Homeowners can set a programmable thermostat at optimal temperatures, scheduled throughout the day. Your boiler will run more efficiently on an established timer and save you money on home heating cost as well.”