Your Home’s Winter & Holiday Prep Checklist

Making Your Home “Gather-Ready”

With all the chaos that comes at the other bookend of the year, we at Heritage are highlighting the top items you should check off your Winter & Holiday Prep Checklist.  Make your home “gather-ready” with professional home services like heat exchanger inspections, drain cleanings, and more!

Heat Exchanger Inspections–Your First Step for a Safe Heating Season

During the height of winter, your heating system is working overtime and that means things can break down.  Getting your system cleaned on a regular basis is great for protecting your investment, however, there is one crucial component that is often overlooked–the heat exchanger.  Read on for more details on their importance.

Note: Heritage always inspects your heat exchanger during furnace maintenance.  Learn more about our 13-step process by watching this video.

About Heat Exchangers

• Heat Exchangers Basics

Heat exchangers will eventually fail as part of their normal life cycle (10-20 years), if no other factors are involved.  The first step to ensuring your furnace will operate safely, and  for as long as possible, is to have it professionally designed and installed by a reputable provider.  Many premature heat exchanger issues are due to installing a furnace that is the wrong size for your home, or poor installation.

• Why Are Heat Exchanger Inspections Important?

Normally, the leftovers from combustion never mix with the air that heats your home, and is safely vented outside.  With time, cracks and holes (called “failures”) can form in the heat exchanger allowing these leftovers, such as deadly carbon monoxide, to enter your home.  While a small leak isn’t likely to be life threatening, it’s a serious problem that should be corrected as soon as possible.

• Steps to Protect Your Investment and Your Health

Heat exchangers will eventually fail as part of their normal life cycle (10-20 years), if no other factors are involved.  The first step to ensuring your furnace will operate safely, and  for as long as possible, is to have it professionally designed and installed by a reputable provider.  Many premature heat exchanger issues are due to installing a furnace that is the wrong size for your home, or poor installation.

For complete peace of mind, have your heat exchanger inspected each year.

Our technicians use a camera device to catch any potential issues, and we’ll notify you immediately if anything needs to be done.

We also recommend getting low-level carbon monoxide detectors and installing these near the furnace, on each level of the home, and in all bedrooms.  While standard detectors only alert you when CO levels reach a dangerous 70 PPM (Parts Per Million), low-level detectors can alert you as soon as 10 PPM. According to a 2009 scientific medical study by the UCLA Center, no home is a “healthy home” unless it is being monitored for CO levels at 10 PPM.

Heating System Not Up to the Task This Year? Get No Money Down, 0% Financing

Whether you’re facing a heating system replacement, or looking to get a jumpstart on the cooling season–Heritage Home Service is offering our customers an easier way to get the system you need today, and spread your payments out overtime.