Phil Says: 6 More Weeks of Winter. Plumbing & Heating Tips
The sun is out and the weather is getting warmer in Colorado but we are not out of the woods yet when it comes to potential plumbing and heating emergencies. It is a little disarming when you feel the sun beating on a Colorado winter day but there could be some surprises for you and your plumbing and heating systems.
Plumbing
As the Colorado temperatures start to moderate and the hours of sunlight increase, you are beginning to think about spring and flowers and fun in the garden. It is OK to think about that but do not try to turn on your outside faucets because when the sun goes down so does the temperature. If you do a little gardening or you water some of the trees and shrubs that have been dormant and you use your outdoor faucet, don’t forget to remove the hose or the freezeless faucet may split at night when the temperature dips to below 25 degrees F. This could cause a flood in your home when spring does arrive and you get out to work on your lawn or yard for the first time. Without knowing it, the water will be spraying inside your house while you are outside tending to the grass or perennials. This mistake is very common so please heed this warning to avoid a very costly repair. Also, do be tempted to turn on your underground lawn sprinkler system just because we have a few mild early spring days. Be sure that we are out of the danger zone and temperatures are not going to fall below 32 degrees F and the danger of frost has past.
Heating
You have gone all winter and avoided heating disasters. As the temperature rises, don’t forget to change all the filters in your system. It is easy to forget to do this because the furnace does not run as often. But remember, now that the front and back door are open to the outside more often than during the winter months and all the airborne dirt, seeds and particles can get into your home and be trapped by your filter. When you shut the door, these airborne matter work their way back to the furnace through the return air duct system. Remember when you change the filter, change it more often than during the winter or at least check it more often.
And don’t forget the humidifier. Many of them require that you replace the pad and it is easy to forget. If the water gets dirty and the pad begins to crumble this means you could have a plugged drain on the humidifier. When this happens, you could also start to grow some type of mold and several other nasty things can happen. A good plan is when you change any filter, don’t forget to write the date that you installed it on the side of the filter where you can see it so you do not have to get inside the blower assembly or take the time to flip it around. (Also, don’t forget to install the filter with the arrow pointing in the direction which the air flows.) A filter rack outside the furnace itself is the safest place to install and service/replace the filter itself.
Finally, save money by adjusting your thermostat down during the late winter and early spring months, since there is more daylight and solar heat beating down on your house. You can get the house very warm during the day and circulate this heat by leaving the fan switch in the “ON” position while keeping the temperature setting at the desired level. This will move the heat that has accumulated in the ceilings throughout the day and keep an good average temperature throughout your home. Your furnace will not fire up as much and you will be more comfortable. This great tip uses the natural solar heat gain during the day and also reduces your heating bill.
If this blog has generated a few questions, please feel free to give me a call. Denver Colorado (303-952-8668) or in Summit and Eagle County (970.328.6001) --- Tom D’Agostino, Kimmel Service Manager