Buffalo, NY (WBEN) As temperatures begin to flirt with the freezing mark, experts say there are several things you need to do to make sure your furnace is running when you need it most.
Brian Ritter of Zenner and Ritter says don't ignore any smells or noises as you turn it on for the first time this season. "Sometimes people think the system will fix itself, and the noise may quiet down for a while, but it's an indication something's going wrong," says Ritter.
He says you don't have to ease into it, but test it first before you really need it most. "There's some households that have the tradition of not turning it on until Thanksgiving. If that's your tradition, great, but try it first. Don't put yourself in a position of waiting until you really need it to test it out. You want to make sure that it's going to start up and need it and work when you need it most," explains Ritter.
When it comes to homeowner care, he says make sure you have a clean air filter. "It is the most crucial element to preventing untimely breakdowns and the homeowner can take care of it themselves," says Ritter. He adds check the batteries if you have a programmable thermostat. "Some Wi-Fi thermostats, which are more popular now, don't have batteries. But for the programmable thermostats that have batteries, just give those a look. If the display goes blank on the thermostat, sometimes that just means you need to change those batteries out," adds Ritter.
If you do need a repair, he says don't fall for a cheap rate. "If you see someone offering a real low rate, that sometimes means they're just trying to get in the house and sell you other services," warns Ritter.
Experts say don't ignore smells or noises
Experts say don't ignore smells or noises
