How to Prepare Your Furnace for the Autumn and Winter Months

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With cool weather just around the corner in the Cincinnati area, now is the perfect time to make sure that your furnace is properly prepared. Here are a few home maintenance tips for your furnace that can help get the heating season off to a good start.

Change the Air Filter

The air filter not only helps to remove dust and other pollutants from the air, but it also protects your furnace and keeps it running efficiently. Typically, an air filter is changed as part of your annual service visit, but you should also check it yourself each month during the heating season and replace it, when necessary.

Program the Thermostat

If you have a programmable thermostat, you may need to adjust its settings before the cool weather arrives. Choose a comfortable temperature for the periods when you are at home and awake, keeping it as low as possible.

For each degree you reduce the standard temperature, you can save up to 3 percent off your heating costs. For periods when you are away from home or asleep, set the thermostat 10 to 15 degrees lower to reduce your heating costs by up to 20 percent. If have a manual thermostat, replace it with a programmable model to enjoy similar savings.

Clean the Air Vents

Remove the vent covers in each, and vacuum any dust or debris out of the air ducts to help improve your indoor air quality. Open all the vents and make sure they are not covered by furniture, curtains or other objects that could inhibit airflow.

Inspect the Furnace

Clean the area around the furnace and kook for obvious signs of problems, such as holes in the vent system, dirty burners, cracks in the heat exchanger, or a frayed fan belt. If you notice any of these problems, have your system professionally inspected.

For more home maintenance tips concerning HVAC systems, talk to our team at Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. If your furnace has seen better days, and requires extensive repairs, be sure to call us first to learn about our affordable furnace replacement options.

"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
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