AVOID THESE COMMON WINTER HEATING ERRORS

When their homes cool down in fall and winter, most Kansas residents instinctively turn on their heating systems without a second thought. After all, the only required steps to heat up your house are for you to walk up to the thermostat, crank up the dial (or click the arrows), and walk away — or so you thought.

Every time you use the heating unit, you could be making any number of common mistakes without realizing it. If so, you wouldn’t be the only one: a sizable percentage of furnace repairs, are caused by homeowners who unsuspectingly misuse their HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems.

If you’re not sure whether the heating technique you use is fair or foul, have no fear: Bryan’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. can give you tips for how to properly warm up your home, starting with avoiding the three most common heating mistakes.

1. GOING ABOVE & BEYOND WITH YOUR THERMOSTAT

Imagine you’ve just strolled through the door after a long day of work, school, or running errands. It’s the middle of winter, and because the heater was off all day, your house is now doing its best impersonation of a meat locker. If your first instinct is to adjust the thermostat because you think that a high setting will heat the house faster, you may want to think twice.

Whether it’s set to one degree or twenty degrees above room temperature, a heater pumps out air at one speed. Setting the thermostat to an astronomically high number doesn’t do anything besides put extra stress on your HVAC system. Over time, this causes wear and tear and leads to a gas furnace repair — which costs on average $300 but could be up to $800 or more. Furthermore, unless you remember to shut down the heater before the cycle completes, you’ll cost yourself more money in utility bills.