BOSS Services shares tips to ensure your home is ready for cold weather

GRANGER, Ind. -- You may or may not be ready for the winter yourself, but what about your home?

It’s important to make sure your furnace and home are ready for the shift to the colder weather ahead.

Gary Zimmerman, HVAC Field Specialist at BOSS Services, a heating and cooling company local to Benton Harbor, shared with ABC57 some tips to make sure your home is ready for the winter.

An under maintained furnace could lead to health risks if something is not operating properly.

While all parts of a furnace should be checked annually, the most important part is the heat exchanger.

If the heat exchanger has a failure, exhaust gases can actually escape into your home and potentially expose you to carbon monoxide.

Furnace efficiency can also result in fewer repairs needed and save you money in the long run.

There are also steps you can take to make sure the rest of your home is ready for the cold as well.

A lot of heat is lost through your windows, so it’s important to have your windows and insulation inspected to ensure heating efficiency.

For those who travel to warmer areas during the winter, you can actually have what’s called a ‘winterization’ done to your home.

This involves removing all of the water from the pipes in your home and adding anti-freeze to toilets to prevent any plumbing failures while you’re away.

Whole home humidifiers can also be used to raise the humidity level in your home, which will allow you to save some money by turning your thermostat down and burning less gas.