KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With cold temperatures expected in the Kansas City area on beginning Tuesday, KSHB 41 is making sure you're prepared.
We spoke to experts who offered advice on how to properly maintenance chimneys and furnaces.
Andrew Hay, with Hometown Heroes Heating and Cooling, said that tune-up work will ensure people aren't overpaying this winter.
“A lot of people are realizing it's time to change my air filter, turning on their heat and saying 'Hey, it’s not turning on,'" he said. "We have been bombarded with phone calls."
Hay said people should look out for the following things during a tune-up:
- The safety of the unit
- Mechanically, does it work?
- How is it performing? Does it need extra cleaning?
Daxten Pruter, a Kansas City homeowner, recently did a tune-up on his furnace and said his energy bill was lower as a result.
“My dad always taught me a house is like a new car — you’re going to have maintenance,” he said. “I wanted to make sure my heat didn’t go out, I’ve already had a reduction in my energy bill.”
Hay weighed in on some of the conversations that he has with customers.
“The first thing I always tell everybody is these systems are moving air," he said. “If the air can’t move, you’ll put stress on the machine, you won’t have as much comfort, it’ll work harder, so change your filters on a regular basis."
He said not changing a filter impacts the furnace's performance.
"When you don’t change your filter, you put a lot of stress on the mechanical device, and you’re losing a lot of airflows," he said. "You’re charging yourself a lot, because the air can’t move freely.”
Hay said a clean filter and blower motor is a cost saver.
“Check and make sure the blower motor isn’t covered,” he said. “If there’s even a 1/8 of an inch of dust on it, you can lose up to 25% of your airflow.”
Experts say the outside of a home needs just as much care.
“Everybody wants to use their fireplace, a lot of them are scared to use it,” said Glen Simmons, with Sleep Easy Chimney Service.
Simmons says people should have their chimney cleaned and inspected at least once a year by a professional, so that it is clear of obstruction and creosote.
He also said creating a safe fire begins with using seasoned firewood, cut to length with minimal newspaper.
Kelly Lange, a Northland Kansas City homeowner, says it’s not worth the gamble and she hired Simmons for a yearly service.
“My family is the most important to me, if this is something I can do to help keep them safe, this is a simple thing to do," she said.
Hay said people should do preventative maintenance now, before it gets too cold.
“When everybody’s calls at the same time, there is only so much bandwidth,” Hay said.
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