Preparing Your Heating System For Winter

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(NAPSA)—It happens every fall. We prepare for winter by replacing screens with storm windows, sealing cracks or leaks around windows and doors, cleaning gutters and shutting off exterior faucets. But what about our home heating system? The experts at the Luxaire™ brand of Johnson Controls encourage you to make these steps part of your winterization routine: Replace or clean the filters in your heating unit to improve air- flow and efficiency. ENERGY STAR, a program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recommends checking yourfilter every month, especially during heavy-use months, and if it looks dirty, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every three months. *Consider installing a programmable thermostat like the Luxaire Touch-screen Thermostat with Proprietary Hexagon Inter- face, which allows you to remotely program your thermostat using your smartphone and lower your home’s temperature when the houseis unoccupied. Change the batteries in your thermostat to ensure it operates properly throughoutthe winter. Test your thermostat by turning it on in the heat mode. It should respond immediately, and you should feel heat coming from your air vents. Make a note of any sounds that seem abnormal. *Inspect your ductwork for punctures, dents or disconnected sections. It’s also a good idea to periodically clean your heating duct to allow heatedairto flow efficiently to all areas of your home. eCheck the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and base- ment walls, floors and crawl You can increase your comfort and save your cold cash by making sure your heating system is in good shapebefore winter comes. spaces to see if it meets the levels (measured in R-values) recommended for your area. It’s also wise to insulate water heaters and pipes to minimize heatloss. Schedule an inspection of your system by a heating professional. Heat pumps andoil-fired furnaces need annual tune-ups; gas-fired equipment can be serviced every other year. Professional technicians are usually trained to detect leaks, soot, rust, rot, corroded elec- trical contacts and frayed wires. You might also consider the convenience of a service contract to ensure your system is properly maintained each year. *Buy an energy-efficient furnace or heat pump. Gas furnaces in the Luxaire Acclimate™ Series offer an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating as high as 98 percent, while Acclimate split system heat pumps offer a heating seasonal performance factor (HSPF) up to 10. Ratings like these translate to significant energy savings and reducedutility bills. To learn how you can improve the efficiency of your home comfort system this winter, visit www.luxaire.com or follow it on YouTube and @LuxaireHVAC on Twitter.