Getting Your Heater Ready for the First Central Texas Cold Front
Published · Air Care Today
In Central Texas the heat hangs on well into fall, so most of us haven't touched the thermostat's heat setting since last winter. Then a cold front blows through, the temperature drops overnight, and everyone turns the heat on at once. That first cold morning is when a lot of heating problems show up. A few minutes of prep now can save you a cold night and a rushed service call later.
1. Test the heat before you need it
On a mild afternoon, switch the thermostat to Heat and set it a few degrees above the room temperature. Within a few minutes you should feel warm air at the vents. If nothing happens, check the basics first: thermostat batteries, the breaker for the furnace or air handler, and the power switch near the furnace, which often looks like a light switch. Finding a problem on a warm day is far better than finding it at 6 a.m. during a freeze.
2. Expect a little dust smell, but not a lasting one
Dust settles on the heat exchanger or heating elements over the summer and burns off the first time the heat runs. A faint burning-dust smell for a short while is normal. A smell that keeps going, gets stronger, or smells like hot wiring or plastic is not. Turn the system off and have it checked.
3. Change the air filter
After a long cooling season the filter is often loaded with dust, pollen and pet hair. A clogged filter restricts airflow, which can make a furnace overheat and shut itself off, or make a heat pump work harder than it should. Check the size printed on the old filter's frame and replace it with the same size.
4. Check your carbon monoxide and smoke alarms
Any home with a gas or propane furnace, gas appliances or an attached garage should have working carbon monoxide alarms. Press the test button and replace batteries as needed, and follow the manufacturer's guidance on when to replace the alarm itself. If a CO alarm ever goes off, get everyone outside and call 911 or your gas utility first.
5. Gas and propane furnaces
- Keep the area around the furnace clear. Closets and attics tend to collect storage boxes over the summer.
- If you heat with propane, check the tank level and schedule a delivery before the cold sets in, rather than during a cold snap when demand is high.
- When the burners are running, the flames should look steady and mostly blue. Yellow, lazy or flickering flames are a reason to schedule a check.
- If you smell gas, don't flip switches or try to find the leak. Leave the house and call your gas utility or propane supplier, or 911, from outside.
6. Heat pumps and electric heat
Heat pumps are common around here, especially in homes without natural gas. In heating mode it's normal for the outdoor unit to run a defrost cycle on cold, damp days, and you may see steam rising from it for a few minutes. An outdoor unit that stays covered in ice is not normal. Clear fallen leaves and debris away from the outdoor unit so it can move air freely. Most heat pumps also have backup electric heat strips for the coldest mornings. If your thermostat shows "aux" or "emergency" heat running much of the time on mild days, the heat pump itself may need attention.
7. Know when to call
Call for service if the system:
- Blows cool air when it's set to heat
- Turns on and off every few minutes (short-cycling)
- Trips the breaker
- Makes new banging, grinding or squealing noises
- Keeps the house noticeably cooler than the thermostat setting
A fall heating check
A professional heating check before winter looks at the parts most likely to fail on that first cold morning: ignition, flame sensor and burners on gas and propane furnaces, heating elements and safety limits on electric heat, defrost controls on heat pumps, and the thermostat, wiring, blower and airflow on all of them. It's a good time to catch a weak part while you can still schedule the repair on your own terms.
Air Care Today services gas, propane and electric furnaces, heat pumps and manufactured-home systems across the I-35 corridor. See heating & furnace service and tune-ups.