Fall Furnace Maintenance
Summer may still be upon us, but fall is right around the corner. As the temperature drops outside, the clock is ticking for the first morning brisk enough to warrant booting up the furnace. Before that day approaches, it’s important to make sure your furnace is properly maintained and prepared for a few seasons of use. A furnace is a large appliance that produces a lot of heat to spread through your house, if that system has been poorly maintained, it could cause a fire.
The National Fire Protection Association reports that 15% of structure fires are caused by heating equipment such as furnaces (https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/Building-and-Life-Safety/Home-Structure-Fires). Many of these are caused by space heaters, but central air furnaces still contribute 12% of heat equipment related fires (https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Data-research-and-tools/US-Fire-Problem/Heating-equipment). These sorts of fires are highly preventable, you just need to take a few hours before the leaves start to fall to make sure your furnace system is working properly.
Replace the Filter
Replacing your furnace’s filter won’t just help prevent a fire, but will also improve the air quality of your home. An air filter needs to be replaced every 1-3 months based on use. You should visually inspect your filter once a month to make sure it doesn’t need replacing.
Move Items Away From the Unit
This may seem obvious, but make sure you have nothing flammable leaning up against your heating unit. Clear the space around your unit as this space is often exposed to some rather extreme heat. If your furnace is located in your garage, make sure to clean up any flammable cob webs that may have collected around the unit.
Visual Inspection
There are a lot of parts to a furnace, and a proper inspection requires a full understanding of the system. This Old House provides an extensive guide, but it is rather technical. Annual Service is not very expensive and can save you time and give you even more peace of mind that your system is working as it should. Let the experts clean your ducts and vents, replace your filter, and make sure all the elements of the system are working properly. We don’t expect every homeowner to know all the ins and outs of their furnace. We’ve spent decades mastering these machines so you don’t have to. If there is something seriously wrong with your unit, it is very important to catch it before there’s 3 feet of snow on the ground and you have to call our office for emergency repair. Regular maintenance could save you thousands in repair costs.
Hire the Experts
At Advanced Air Systems our trained professionals are happy to come out to your house and inspect and clean your heating system for you so you don’t need to worry about the ensuing mess and replacement parts, and the time and hard to reach locations of your home. We are well versed in all heating systems, so if it’s been a few years since you’ve had an experts eye, it might be time to give us a call. We want your home to be safe and warm this winter.