People who don’t care about having a heating maintenance checklist are usually the ones who get tensed when a heating machine fails. If you don’t want to incur unwanted costs when your heating system breaks down, maintain it properly and regularly. This way, it will work for you efficiently during the time that you need it most.

The best thing to do is to have an HVAC contractor perform a yearly pre-season check-up on your machine. Usually, these contractors are busy during summer and winter seasons, so, it’s recommended that you get a checkup of your heating system during the fall.

What a heating maintenance checklist should include:

• The thermostat should be in correct setting – This is to provide your home with the right heating effect when you need it.
• Inspect and tighten all loose electrical connections – Loose electrical connections can cause breakdown of major components in your heating system.
• Lubricate all the machine parts – This is important to avoid friction in the motors, and prevent waste of electricity.
• Check the condensate drain – Remember that a plugged drain can result in water damage in your home, and can affect the indoor humidity levels.
• Inspect your heating system’s controls – This is part of your heating maintenance checklist that will ensure proper and safe starting, operating, and shutting off the unit.
• Check your gas or oil connections, heat exchanger, burner combustion and gas pressure – This can prevent fire hazard and can get rid of health problems. When your burner is dirty or if your heat exchanger is already cracked, it can cause improper burner operation. In this case, your equipment will not be safe to operate, and it will work inefficiently.
• Keep your air filters in good condition – Inspect them, clean, or change them once a month. Ask your contractor to teach you how to do it so you can save money. When your air filter is already dirty, it can increase the cost of energy, and could damage your equipment.

Except for keeping the thermostat in correct setting and maintaining your air filters, all the items above may not be considered as DIY. The best thing to do is get the help of a reputable firm that offers flat rate on materials and labor to perform a regular maintenance of your heating equipment. Your part is to keep a heating maintenance checklist to keep the unit always in good condition.