Chinooks and Your Furnace
A chinook can lift Lethbridge from deep cold to well above freezing in hours. Your heating system has to cope with those swings all winter.
Request an HVAC technicianShort heating bursts
On mild chinook days the furnace runs in short bursts. That's normal, but very short cycles can point to an oversized furnace or a thermostat in the wrong place.
Thermostat settings
If you have a heat pump or AC, make sure the thermostat won't flip to cooling on a warm afternoon. Most let you set a gap between heating and cooling, or lock cooling off in winter.
Snow and ice on vents
Melt and refreeze can coat side-wall furnace vents and heat pump coils with ice. Check vents after each chinook and keep them clear.
Humidity swings
Indoor humidity changes with outdoor temperature. On cold days, lower the humidifier setting if you see condensation on windows; raise it again on milder days.
Heat pumps and chinooks
Mild chinook days are when a heat pump works most efficiently. Dual-fuel systems use the heat pump more during warm spells and the furnace in deep cold.
Get help
If the furnace cycles constantly or the house never feels even, see maintenance and tune-ups.
Wind on cold days
When the chinook ends, wind often brings the cold back fast. A house that leaks air will feel it first. Sealing drafts around doors, windows and attic hatches, and sealing exposed ducts, helps your furnace keep up when the temperature drops.
Filters fill faster
Chinook winds carry dust that ends up in your furnace filter. Check the filter after a windy week, not just once a month, and keep a spare on hand.
More heating and cooling guides
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