Is Your Furnace Ready for Winter?

With winter just around the corner, it’s time for you to make sure your HVAC system is in good condition to give you efficient and reliable operation all season long. The last thing you want is to have the first chilly day of the winter and not have your furnace functioning properly.

Therefore, you should schedule an appointment with a service professional who can handle your furnace maintenance in Fair Oaks, CA and get you all set up for the coming season. But what is involved with furnace repair and maintenance in a service appointment? Here’s a quick overview of what to expect:

• Changing filters: This is a task you can actually perform yourself pretty easily. You should check the condition of your filter before the winter arrives, and change it if it appears to be dirty or degraded. This will help your furnace function more efficiently when winter truly arrives in earnest.
• Test your thermostat: Go to your thermostat and switch the mode from “cooling” to “heating.” This will allow you to check two things: if your heating system is actually working properly, and if the thermostat still maintains a connection to your furnace to control it sufficiently. There are some circumstances in which the furnace may actually be in good shape, but the thermostat has some problems.
• Inspect the chimney: It’s a good idea to perform a quick visual inspection of your chimney before operating it for the first time this winter just to make sure there aren’t any obstructions. Birds do like to nest in these open areas. There could also be a potential buildup of soot, which would make for a fire hazard. If it’s been a while since you’ve had a chimney inspection, this is just another reason to call in a professional HVAC service team.
• Lubricate your furnace parts: There are certain parts of your furnace that may need to be lubricated to get them operating as smoothly as they need to. Ideally, your blower motor should be oiled at least once a year to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness.
• Clean the burners: Have you ever turned on your furnace and smelled a burning sort of smell emanating from your vents? This is likely dust burning off of the burners. When you go a long time without using your furnace (such as over the spring and summer), you can expect dust to accumulate on the burners, so it’s a good idea to clean them off before using them to provide more efficient operation and lower your fire risk. This also gives you an opportunity to more closely inspect the burners for rust or other issues.
• Uncover vents: While this isn’t a furnace maintenance step, per se, it’s still important that you unblock all the heating vents in your home to ensure proper airflow and to prevent the furnace from overheating due to trapped hot air.

For more information about furnace maintenance in Fair Oaks, CA, contact the technicians at Cassel Air Conditioning and Heating Service today.

Categorised in: Furnace Repair

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