by B. Leslie Baird

Created on: October 04, 2010

Winter has an interesting way of sneaking up when you are not looking. While a warm up in the spring is usually gradual a cold front can suddenly appear and catch you completely off guard in early fall. If you have neglected to check your home's heating system you could be in for a few miserable days and nights or more.

It is very common for those in the HVAC business to become swamped with work as soon as there is a sudden change in weather. Even simple repair work can take days to schedule. If your furnace happens to need a few replacement parts these parts may have to be ordered creating even more of a delay. In a worst case scenario, if you happen to need to have a new unit installed, you could very well wait a couple of weeks before you have heat.

It will only take a few minutes of your time to check your home's heating system before winter arrives. You should try to perform this quick check around the time of year that summer weather normally ends in your area. For middle to northern parts of the U.S. the best time would be from the middle to late September. If you are unfamiliar with weather patterns where you live ask a neighbor what the trends have been.

If you have an electric furnace you will simply need to switch your controls from air conditioning to heat and adjust the thermostat so that the heat will actually turn on. If you have a gas unit you may need to turn your gas supply back on and relight the pilot if you commonly turn it off. You will only need to wait to see if your heat starts and your blower motor is operational. Even if you heat your home with a wood fireplace or other combustible you should check your chimney to be sure it is clean and working correctly. Take the time now to stock up on the wood or other material you use before the rush for supplies is on.

Another benefit of an early system check is that dust can be cleared from your system in advance of your needing heat. The smell of burning dust that frequently occurs can be aired out of your home quickly without your losing the heat you desperately need at 3 am when the temperature just dropped to 40 F. While you are checking your system check your filter as well. This is a great time for a filter replacement if needed and you can also stock up on the right size to prevent a last minute dash to the store.

A sudden heat wave in the spring can be dealt with by opening windows and turning on fans. Unfortunately the same does not apply to a sudden cold snap. Catching a problem with your home's heating system early should enable you to make or obtain repairs before you suffer in a cold house. Even better you may find discounts on service, repairs or new installations when your local HVAC companies are slow and needing work.

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