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The mild El Centro winters lead many homeowners to make the mistake of neglecting their furnace and failing to ensure it’s properly maintained. When a furnace doesn’t have to work much or at all during warmer periods, the inactivity can lead to dust buildup, worn components and various other problems that negatively impact its performance. When the temperature suddenly drops, these hidden problems can lead to sudden breakdowns or the furnace not heating efficiently and wasting excess energy. By following this step-by-step guide, you can avoid issues and ensure you have effective heating whenever you need it.
Clear the Area Around the Furnace
You should always make sure to keep the area around your furnace clear and free of clutter. Combustible items like cardboard boxes, paper or clothing could catch on fire if they’re too close to the furnace. Keep anything that could potentially combust at least three feet from the furnace. Keeping the area around the furnace clear is also essential for ensuring proper airflow. If the furnace can’t draw sufficient air into the combustion chamber, the flames won’t receive as much oxygen as they need.
Not only does this lead to the furnace producing less heat, but it can also cause the furnace to produce carbon monoxide. Another concern is that the flames can grow bigger if they aren’t receiving sufficient oxygen, which can lead to them escaping the combustion chamber and damaging other components or causing a fire.
Replace or Wash the Air Filter
Replacing or washing the furnace filter regularly helps ensure effective furnace performance and prevents energy waste and higher heating bills. With the winters in El Centro tending to be fairly warm, you usually only need to replace or wash the filter every three months. If you have indoor pets or anyone smokes in the home, you should replace or wash the filter every month or two. Keeping the filter clean prevents it from restricting airflow and forcing the furnace to work harder and use more energy.
Clean and Check Vents and Registers
Another essential task for ensuring efficient and effective furnace performance is vacuuming the cover on all vents and registers and checking that they aren’t blocked by furniture and other items. If vents are clogged with dust and debris or the airflow is obstructed, it prevents the surrounding area from receiving sufficient heating. Clogged or obstructed vents also make it more difficult for the furnace blower to move heated air around the house, which can lead to inefficient performance and some rooms never receiving enough heat.
Check the Thermostat
Replacing the batteries in your thermostat at the start of winter helps avoid it suddenly not working. You should also test that it still works correctly and registers the right temperature. To test thermostat functioning, you just need to turn the temperature up and down to see if the furnace comes on and shuts off when it should. You can easily test if it’s registering the correct temperature using an instant-read kitchen thermometer.
Test Carbon Monoxide Detectors Monthly
With a gas furnace, there’s always the potential for carbon monoxide to leak into the house and potentially expose everyone to serious or even fatal CO poisoning. Carbon monoxide issues most commonly happen because the combustion fumes aren’t being properly vented outside through the exhaust flue or because there’s a crack in the heat exchanger. The only way to detect the presence of carbon monoxide in the home is with CO detectors. The only concern is that CO detectors can fail. That’s why you need to test each one at least monthly to make sure that you’ll know if carbon monoxide is present so that you can get everyone safely outside.
Schedule a Professional Furnace Inspection and Tune-Up
A professional inspection and tune-up is the best way to avoid issues that can lead to poor furnace performance and fire or carbon monoxide hazards. At Arctic Air, our comprehensive maintenance and tune-up services help prevent breakdowns, keep heating costs lower and avoid unnecessary wear and tear that can lead to costly repairs and premature failure. Professional furnace maintenance involves numerous essential tasks and checks that homeowners can’t properly do themselves. This includes things like cleaning the blower, flame sensor and burners, testing the sensors and safety switches and inspecting the heat exchanger and exhaust flue to prevent carbon monoxide issues.
We’ve been proudly serving El Centro area homeowners since 1996, and our expert technicians can properly handle your maintenance and repair needs to ensure your furnace remains in peak condition. To schedule a tune-up and ensure your furnace is fully ready for winter, contact the experienced professionals at Arctic Air today.
