Tips for Shutting Down a Furnace for the Season

As the end of winter approaches and the first signs of warm weather appear, it may be time to either partially or fully switch off the furnace in preparing for spring. While there is no immediate threat to leaving the furnace on over the summer, it does pose a threat to your pockets. You could end up saving a few dollars by switching off your furnace during the summer.

Why Shut Down the Furnace for Spring

If you do not fully switch off your furnace over the summer, it will continue to use up gas or energy. It isn’t enough to set the furnace to either the ‘cool’ or ‘off’ setting. You must switch the furnace off completely. If you own a gas furnace, you will also benefit from a complete shutdown. A gas furnace continues to burn natural gas during the summer to keep the pilot light on. This is only convenient during the winter time when you are in need of quickly turning the furnace on. If you leave the furnace on throughout the spring and summer, you risk higher energy bills.

In addition, a gas furnace and an electrical furnace have several sensors and electrical components which run cycles that keep the furnace on. These are some of the culprits that can run up your electricity bill in the spring and summer.

How To Properly Shut Down a Furnace

Keeping a gas furnace on over the warmer months may run up your electric bill by an additional $50. While in the short term this does not sound like much, the amount does add up over the lifetime of the furnace.

To switch off a gas furnace, find the gas valve on the furnace, and switch it off. One thing to look out for is that the valve only supplies gas to the furnace and not to the entire home. Once you have determined that the gas valve only supplies gas to the furnace, go ahead and switch it off. You should see the pilot light switch off as well.

To switch off an electrical furnace and prevent it from being an energy guzzler over the summer, you should cut the power to the circuit. You will see that the circuit is connected to the furnace. Find the home electrical panel, otherwise known as the breaker panel, which is usually built into a wall. Always check first to make sure that no other appliance is using the panel. Once you have located the panel, you can switch the power supply to the furnace off.

The Exception

If you have an HVAC system in the same place as the furnace, then make sure to cut off the gas line in the furnace. But, always make sure that you do not cut the electrical power supply from the circuit panel. In cases like these, both the A/C and furnace use the same blower fan and temperature sensors. The idea is to keep the power on the A/C running during summer.

Give the professionals at Cassel Air Conditioning & Heating Service a call today at (916) 983-2503 to assist you with switching off your furnace and checking your HVAC system.

Categorised in: Furnace Repair

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