Although summer hasn’t released its grip yet, it’s time to start thinking about the fall. In particular, it’s time to start fall maintenance on your furnace. Although there are some fall furnace maintenance steps you can take on your own, there are also some that it’s best to leave to a professional. Professional inspections and maintenance can help your furnace operate more efficiently and safely. It can also reduce the risk that you’ll need furnace replacement this year.
Getting professional maintenance done before the rush can make it easier to schedule and will ensure that your furnace is ready when we get that first crisp autumn night. Sometimes that can be a surprise – in 2020, we had the earliest freeze recorded in Denver on September 8. That was just three days after the highest-recorded temperature in the month: 101° F!
In Colorado, there’s nothing you can do to stop surprises in the weather, but Major Heating and Air Conditioning can make sure there are no surprises when it comes to your furnace.
Things to Do Yourself
When you’re making your fall to-do list, make sure you add a few items related to your furnace. You should:
- Give the furnace a good cleaning
- Check the furnace filter
- Check your CO detectors
- Inspect and test your thermostat
- Run the furnace
All of these things are a good start to ensuring your furnace will be in good condition when the cold weather does start.
A Good Cleaning
Fall cleaning is just as important as spring cleaning. When it comes to your furnace, it’s probably accumulated a lot of dust over the summer, so wipe it down, remove any debris you might have put around it, and vacuum around the outside. At a minimum, this will make sure the furnace is easily accessible by the maintenance crew.
In addition, clean all your heating and cold air intake grates. This is especially important if your heating and cooling systems are separated and the grates have been inactive all summer. These days, it’s longer and longer between the last heating day in the spring and the first one in the fall, so you can expect more dust and debris to accumulate. Consider whether you want professional cleaning of your ducts.
Check the Filter
Make sure your furnace filter is in good condition. If you change your filter every two months as recommended, you might have a relatively new filter in place, but if you’re like most people, the odds are good that it was in there a while at the end of last winter and is due for a change.
Make Sure Your CO Detectors Are Working
You should have carbon monoxide (CO) detectors near your gas furnace, and at least one on each floor. When gas doesn’t combust completely, your furnace can release carbon monoxide, which is odorless and deadly. Make sure the CO detectors in your home are working properly.
Inspect the Thermostat
If you have separate thermostats for your heating and cooling systems, it’s possible that you haven’t looked at your furnace thermostat for months. Make sure it’s working properly – you might need to change the battery.
Run the Furnace
When you schedule your professional maintenance, ask them if they recommend running your furnace briefly before they arrive. If your thermostat is working properly, set it to trigger your furnace. You don’t need to run it long, but you want to make sure all the parts come on: the burners and blowers, for example, should combine to send hot air to all the rooms. There should be no strange sounds and no weird smells other than a little dust if you didn’t get your ducts cleaned.
What to Trust to the Professionals
Here are some things that should be done on your furnace every year, but which you should leave to the professionals.
Check Gas Connections
Gas leaks can be dangerous, so it’s important to inspect all the connections to make sure they’re still secure. Don’t try to do this if you don’t have the expertise and tools. The last thing you should do is pull on gas connectors to make sure they’re secure – you can dislodge or damage them.
Electrical System Check
A furnace technician will check your furnace’s electrical system to make sure it’s functioning properly. Damaged wiring is one of the most common causes of furnace failures, fires, and explosions.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Every moving part in your furnace needs to be properly lubricated to keep moving. Anything that seizes up can stop your furnace from functioning, lead to leaks, reduce the efficiency of the furnace, or cause dangerous problems.
Heat Exchanger Inspection
The air in which the gas burns is not the air that your furnace sends through the house. Instead, the furnace uses an exchanger to heat the air that flows through your vents. If the exchanger is damaged or cracked, dangerous combustion products can enter the vents.
Burner Cleaning
If your burners aren’t clean, they might stop functioning, which can cause your furnace to shut off or lead to very ineffective heating. Your gas bills will go up considerably, and your furnace will fail sooner.
Trust Major Heating and Air Conditioning with Your Furnace Maintenance
If you want to make sure your furnace is ready for the cool weather to come, now’s the time to schedule professional maintenance. Major Heating and Air Conditioning can inspect, clean, and, if necessary, repair your furnace so it will function properly when the temperatures drop.
Since 1970, people in Denver have trusted Major Heating and Air Conditioning to handle all their heating and cooling needs. We are ready to help you keep your house comfortable year-round.
Please call or use our online form today to request a technician to come take a look at your furnace. We serve customers in Denver and the surrounding areas.
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