Why We Want You to Think About Your Furnace While It’s Still 80 Degrees Outside

We know what you’re thinking.

It’s August. The air conditioner is running. You’re grilling dinner, enjoying long evenings outside and trying to squeeze every last bit out of summer.

And your HVAC company wants to talk about your furnace?

Yes, we do.

At Badger Heating & Air Conditioning, we’ve been working on heating and cooling systems in Stevens Point and throughout Central Wisconsin since 1994. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that Wisconsin weather doesn’t always give you much warning before the seasons change.

One week, you’re wondering whether you should turn the thermostat down another degree. Not long after, you can find yourself waking up to a chilly house and wondering whether it’s finally time to turn on the heat.

That’s exactly why late summer is a surprisingly good time to start thinking about your furnace.

You don’t necessarily need to turn it on today. But you can make sure it’s ready when you need it.

Here’s why we encourage homeowners to get ahead of heating season rather than waiting for the first cold night.

The First Cold Morning Is a Terrible Time to Discover a Problem

Every year, the same thing happens.

Temperatures drop, homeowners across Central Wisconsin turn on their furnaces for the first time in months—and some of those furnaces don’t cooperate.

That’s when our phones get busy.

A furnace that was working last spring isn’t automatically guaranteed to start perfectly in the fall. Components age. Connections can loosen. Dirt accumulates. Ignition components can develop problems. Filters become clogged.

When you wait until you absolutely need heat to find out whether your furnace works, you’ve eliminated your margin for error.

That’s one reason ENERGY STAR recommends annual pre-season HVAC checkups, with heating equipment checked before the winter season.

Getting ahead of the rush gives you time to address a problem before you’re dealing with a cold house.

Your Furnace Has Been Sitting Quietly for Months

Most Central Wisconsin furnaces spend a good portion of the summer sitting idle.

That doesn’t mean you should assume everything is exactly as you left it.

Before heating season, we want to know that the furnace is clean, controls are operating correctly, electrical connections are sound and safety components are doing what they’re designed to do.

During a professional heating maintenance visit, a technician can inspect components that the average homeowner simply can’t evaluate by looking at the outside of the furnace.

Our HVAC maintenance services are designed to help keep heating and cooling equipment operating efficiently and reduce the chances of an unexpected breakdown.

Think of it like getting your car checked before a long winter drive. You might make the trip without doing it—but most people would rather know about a potential problem before they’re stranded.

What Do We Actually Look at During Furnace Maintenance?

A professional furnace tune-up is much more than changing a filter and making sure warm air comes out of the vents.

Depending on the equipment, there are numerous components and safety items that need attention.

At Badger Heating & Air Conditioning, maintenance can include checking burners, the ignition system, blower components, venting, safety controls, pressure switches, thermostat operation, wiring, temperature rise and the heat exchanger.

You can see more about what’s included in our heating and cooling service agreements here.

ENERGY STAR also recommends that heating-system maintenance include checking gas or oil connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and the heat exchanger.

Those aren’t just comfort issues. Proper furnace operation is also a safety issue.

What Can Homeowners Do Themselves?

There are a few simple things you can do before heating season.

Check the filter

If you haven’t looked at your HVAC filter recently, start there.

A dirty filter restricts airflow and forces the system to work harder. ENERGY STAR recommends inspecting the filter monthly and cleaning or replacing it when dirty.

If you aren’t sure which filter your system uses or how frequently yours should be changed, ask us during your next service visit.

Look around the furnace

Don’t use the area around your furnace as a storage closet. Keep boxes, household chemicals and other materials away from the equipment.

Check your thermostat

Make sure the display looks normal and your settings haven’t been changed over the summer. If your thermostat uses batteries, this may also be a good time to check them.

Pay attention when the heat first comes on

When you eventually turn the furnace on, listen.

Does it start normally? Is the airflow what you expect? Are there unusual rattles, squeals, banging or repeated attempts to start?

You don’t have to diagnose the problem. Just knowing that something sounds different is enough reason to have it checked.

“What’s That Smell?”

We hear this question every fall.

When a heating system starts for the first time after months of inactivity, homeowners sometimes notice an odor as accumulated dust heats up.

A brief dusty smell may disappear relatively quickly.

But persistent burning odors, electrical smells, smoke, or anything that makes you concerned should not be ignored. Turn the system off and contact a professional if you suspect something is wrong.

And if a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, treat that as an immediate safety issue and follow the alarm manufacturer’s safety instructions.

Your furnace isn’t something to take chances with.

Maintenance Can Help Your Furnace Work More Efficiently

Heating a Wisconsin home is a major job.

When a furnace has restricted airflow, dirty components or other performance problems, it may have to work harder to maintain the temperature you want.

That’s why maintenance isn’t only about preventing breakdowns. It’s also about helping your equipment operate the way it was designed to operate.

ENERGY STAR identifies dirt and neglect as leading causes of heating and cooling system inefficiency and failure and recommends regular maintenance to help equipment maintain peak performance.

Our Badger HVAC service agreement program provides annual furnace and air conditioner maintenance, along with additional benefits such as savings on parts and labor and priority emergency service.

For many homeowners, it’s simply easier than trying to remember when each piece of HVAC equipment was last serviced.

What If Your Furnace Is Getting Old?

Late summer is also a much better time to have this conversation than the middle of January.

If your furnace is older and has needed increasingly frequent repairs, it may be worth having its condition evaluated before another heating season.

That doesn’t automatically mean you need a new furnace.

At Badger, we service all makes and models, and we’ll help you understand what’s happening with your existing equipment.

But there comes a point when putting more money into an older system may not be the best long-term choice. If you’re facing a significant repair, we’ll help you compare your options.

When replacement does make sense, our technicians can assess your home’s comfort needs and recommend an appropriate furnace or HVAC replacement system for your home and budget.

Planning ahead also gives you time to consider equipment, efficiency, financing and installation options without making a rushed decision because your house is cold.

Don’t Forget About Indoor Air Quality

Once Wisconsin homes are closed up for fall and winter, indoor air becomes even more important.

During warmer months, we naturally spend more time outside and may open windows when the weather allows. During winter, the house is sealed up and the heating system circulates indoor air for months.

If you deal with dust, pet dander or other indoor air concerns, late summer or early fall is a good time to talk with us about your home’s air quality.

Badger Heating & Air Conditioning offers residential HVAC and indoor air quality solutions, including air purification options.

Every home is different, so rather than assuming a particular product is right for everyone, we prefer to look at your home, your HVAC system and your concerns before recommending a solution.

Why August and Early Fall Make Sense

There is another practical reason we encourage homeowners to think about heating before it gets cold: scheduling.

HVAC companies naturally get busier when temperatures reach extremes. When the first major cold snap arrives, people who don’t have heat understandably need immediate help.

Scheduling preventative maintenance before that rush gives you more flexibility and, more importantly, gives you time to deal with anything we find.

If your furnace needs a relatively simple repair, you can take care of it.

If we discover a larger problem, you have time to consider your options.

And if everything looks great? Even better. You can head into heating season with greater confidence.

Wisconsin Winter Is Coming—Even If It Doesn’t Feel Like It Today

We aren’t trying to rush summer. Around here, we enjoy every warm Wisconsin day we can get.

But we also know what’s coming.

Soon enough, the windows will be closed, the thermostat will move from “cool” to “heat,” and your furnace will once again become one of the hardest-working pieces of equipment in your home.

Taking care of it before that happens just makes sense.

At Badger Heating & Air Conditioning, we’re proud to serve homeowners in Stevens Point, Plover, Wisconsin Rapids, Waupaca, Amherst, Rosholt, Mosinee, Iola and communities throughout Central Wisconsin.

We’ve been helping our neighbors stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer for decades, and we’d much rather help you prevent a heating problem than meet you for the first time because your furnace stopped working on a freezing night.

So yes, we’re talking about furnaces in August.

And once that first cold Wisconsin morning arrives, you’ll understand why.

If you’d like to schedule furnace maintenance, discuss a service agreement or have concerns about your current heating system, contact Badger Heating & Air Conditioning.

A little preparation now can go a long way toward a warmer, more comfortable winter.