Before You Turn On the Heat: A 10-Minute Furnace Maintenance Checklist
Nine quick steps to run through before the first cold night, plus what a professional heating tune-up checks that you can’t.
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Haven’t Changed Your Furnace Filter Since Spring? We Tested How Restricted Airflow Changes Heating Performance
We used a real furnace blower table and real filter pressure-drop data to calculate what a dirty furnace filter does to static pressure, airflow and temperature rise, from clean to badly restricted.
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Furnace Not Turning On the First Cold Day? What to Check, the Reset Button Question, and Which Burning Smells Are Normal
A furnace that won’t start after a summer off usually has a simple reason. Here’s what to check yourself, what the blinking light is telling you, and when a smell means shut it off.
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Fire Prevention Week: 5 Dryer Habits That Prevent Fires
Five everyday laundry habits that keep lint from building up where it can catch fire, plus a two-minute vent airflow check and the warning signs to act on.
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Trying to Save on Heating While You Sleep? We Tested 4 Thermostat Settings to See What Actually Saves
We modeled a 1990s Northern Virginia home through two real Dulles nights at 68°F, 65°F, 62°F and 60°F, with a gas furnace and with a heat pump. Here’s what each night thermostat setting saved after the morning warm-up.
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When Northern Virginia’s Appliances Break: A Month-by-Month Repair Calendar
We read 12 months of repair searches across Northern Virginia. Heating peaks in January, ovens in November, washers and dishwashers in December, and AC in July.
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Why Is My Dryer Running but Not Heating? (And When It’s a Fire Risk)
A dryer that tumbles but stays cold usually comes down to airflow, power or one heat part. Here’s the order a technician checks them in, and the signs that point to a fire risk.
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Furnace Blowing Cold Air? 7 Common Causes and What to Check First
Most cold-air problems come down to a handful of parts. Here’s how to tell which one you’re dealing with, what you can safely check yourself, and when it’s time to call a technician.
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Trying to Hold Off on Turning On the Heat? We Tested How Cold Your House Gets Overnight
We modeled three Northern Virginia homes, from the 1970s to today, through three real fall nights at Dulles with the heat off. Here’s how fast each one cooled, and when to turn on the heat.
