It’s officially fall and for many people, it’s their favorite season. The changing of the leaves and the transition from hot weather to enjoyable fall days make for a great time of year.
That transition from hot to cooler temperatures means you’ll soon be transitioning to using your furnace or heating system. But before you switch it on for the first time, there are some DIY maintenance tasks you should complete. Let’s go over these below.
You should also schedule annual furnace maintenance with our team will make sure your furnace operates at peak performance this fall and winter. Let’s go over 5 essential things you should do before the cold weather hits.
1. Change the Air Filter
If changing your furnace’s air filter regularly every 1-3 months isn’t already on your list of routine home maintenance tasks, it should be! Your furnace’s air filter has a big job to do. It helps keep your furnace’s interior free of dust, dirt, and debris. Just like with any well-oiled machine, a furnace will run better when its interior is clean.
Ideally, you should change the air filter every 1-3 months when the system is in use. Depending on factors such as if you have pets, the number of people in your household, if you’re in an urban area, and whether anyone in your household suffers from allergies or respiratory illnesses, you should change it more frequently.
2. Schedule Maintenance
The best way to ensure your furnace serves you well during the winter and to avoid the need for heating repairs is to schedule annual furnace maintenance. During a heating tune-up, our service technicians will inspect, clean, and adjust the furnace to boost its efficiency and system longevity. Our safety checks will ensure your furnace is running safely and guard against the need for repairs.
3. Get Repairs Done
After a maintenance visit, we might’ve made recommendations for repairs. Getting these done promptly is imperative. This prevents small problems from becoming larger and costlier repair problems that could result in a complete furnace breakdown if it’s allowed to continue unchecked.
4. Clean the Burners
If you own a gas furnace, we’ll check the burners during a tune-up, but it’s also something you can check yourself. Turn the furnace and gas valves off and then wipe them down with a clean, dry cloth. This will increase your furnace’s efficiency and prevent a buildup of dirt and grease that can be a safety issue.
5. Clear the Area
Just like the filter needs unobstructed airflow, so does the area around your furnace. If summer equipment is cluttering the area around your furnace, now’s the time to move it out of the way. Bicycles, outdoor furniture, camping equipment, boxes, and lawn care and gardening items shouldn’t be within the 3-foot perimeter surrounding your heating system. Be sure that this area is free and clear of any items.
Contact Quality Heating & Cooling today for furnace maintenance in Middletown, NY. It’s not a Quality job, unless it has our Quality seal.