subject: Preparing Furnaces For Winter [print this page] After a long summer, furnaces need certain checks in order to run most efficiently when cold weather returns. The last thing anyone would want is for his or her furnace to break down when it drops below freezing. In order to prevent this, a certain amount of maintenance and cleaning should keep your furnace in good working order as long as you continue to have scheduled checks by a local professional service provider, who will be able to determine if you will need any furnace repair.
Basic Furnace Checks
Two of the most basic parts of your furnace you can check are the filter and the fan belt. After a year's worth of work and a summer's worth of sitting and building up dust, the filter may need to be changed. If this is the case, the replacement process should be as simple and easy as it is shown in your user manual. Checking the fan belt is as easy as feeling if the belt is loose. If it is your local service provider will be able to replace it without any trouble. Checking these two things should be a simple way to increase the efficiency and lifespan of your furnace, thus creating much more home comfort for you during the upcoming winter months. Remember not to make any of these checks if your furnace is running.
Keeping It Clean
After a long summer, it is not unreasonable to think that dust and clutter would find its way in and around your furnace. Take a day at the end of the summer to dust and vacuum out the furnace and its ventilation system. This will reduce the amount of dust that is circulating through your home when the weather gets cold. Your home will have a higher indoor air quality, which will help you to settle during the winter months. Any trash or potentially flammable items that have collected near your furnace should also be moved, not only to make the area less cluttered and more efficient, but to help to prevent any possible fire hazards.
Checked By a Professional
Often times people try to avoid having a professional repair man come into their homes, because it costs money, but there is no better way to ensure that your furnace will be in it's best working condition than by hiring your local furnace repair and service provider to come into your home and make sure your furnace is in top condition. An annual check up before winter is a safe and easy way to make sure your furnace won't be breaking down right when you need it. And as long as you are being careful and taking care of your furnace during the rest of the year, you shouldn't have to worry about needing to make any costly repairs, but things do happen that are out of your control. Machines break down over time, and it would be to your benefit to make sure that does not happen at inconvenient times. Nothing destroys home comfort more than when furnaces break down during the coldest months of the year.
