You’ve heard of spring-cleaning, but equally important is the cleaning and maintenance tasks that can be performed at your home in the fall.
To further explain the home heating side of that, our Logan Services expert, Derec, was interviewed about what you can do to have your furnace prepped and ready to go for the colder temperatures.
Watch and read below to learn things you can do for preventative maintenance and prepping your furnace for fall:
What are some furnace preparation steps for the heating season?
Check and change the batteries in your heating and cooling thermostat and carbon monoxide detectors. Make sure you update your mobile apps that work with your thermostat, so you are synced with the latest technology to help condition the indoor environment.
If you have a whole-house humidifier, how can you prepare it for seasonal operation?
You will want to change the water pad inside the system or have one of our professionals do it during a fall HVAC maintenance visit. Also, since you will be using water, and furnaces do drain water, make sure that your HVAC drain line and drain pipes on the floor are not clogged. Vinegar or bleach mixed with water are good cleaners for this.
Why do furnaces sometimes have a hard time igniting at the beginning of the heating season?
Believe it or not, it could be due to the lack of the furnace filter being changed on a routine basis. If your furnace doesn’t want to click on, it could be because the filter is clogged and dirty. You should be changing your furnace filter every month, so if you haven’t done this in a while, it’s definitely time to do so. Even if the filter packing says to change the furnace filter every 90 days, you should still check and switch it out monthly: we can’t share this tip enough. It’s possible that an older furnace has trouble igniting due to a pilot light issue.
How can you prevent animals from getting inside your system this fall?
Recently, we posted a video about ‘When Animals Attack Your HVAC System’. Did you know that an HVAC breakdown could be the result of animal/insect interference? In the fall, bees/wasps like to build hives inside of furnace exhaust pipes. If your furnace doesn’t start, check the exhaust pipe to ensure there are no insects inside it. Unfortunately, mice and rodents like to live inside of exhaust pipes, and they can wreak havoc on your air conditioner by building nests inside of them. Chewed wires can ruin your A/C with issues like fire or a complete breakdown. To help prevent rodents from damaging your outdoor unit, set up traps around the system or call your local animal control company for other animals in the HVAC system.
How vital is furnace maintenance in the fall and winter seasons?
A seasonal furnace check is the best way to ensure that you are operating a heating system that will keep you safe and comfortable all fall and winter long. Not only will a heating tune-up provide you with peace-of-mind for proper operation, but it will also help to maximize the efficiency of your furnace, saving you money in energy usage.
Give the friendly team at Logan Services in Dayton, Columbus, or Cincinnati a call for a maintenance visit. If you can’t get the furnace started, we can help. If it’s old and it’s time for an HVAC replacement – ask us for a free in-home estimate.
