While your furnace has been sitting unused, it has gathered dust inside. This decreases its efficiency and can cause fires. Before you turn on your furnace for the year, do these four things to correctly prep it for safe and efficient operation.
1. Schedule Professional Heating Maintenance
One of the most important things to do before turning your furnace on for a new season of warming your home is to schedule professional maintenance. Evans Mechanical can handle your heating maintenance needs in the Eureka, California, area. We complete the tasks you aren’t able to, such as cleaning the furnace’s internal components and inspecting its parts for damage.
2. Remove Items That Are Near the Furnace
If you haven’t been using your furnace, you may have put items too close to the furnace that could catch on fire. Check around your heater and remove all items to prevent obstructed airflow and fire hazards.
3. Test Your Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors
Carbon monoxide leaks are a potential hazard with running your heating system. With annual maintenance, it’s unlikely you’ll ever experience this problem. However, you want to stay on the safe side and test your carbon monoxide detector before turning on your furnace to double-check that it’s working correctly. You want to be notified early on about dangerous carbon monoxide leaks if they occur. Also, test your smoke detector since furnaces can catch on fire when there is a build-up of lint or if a flammable item comes too close to it.
4. Vacuum the Furnace and Vents
The dust and pet dander that collects over your furnace and vents is a fire hazard. Before turning on your furnace for cold weather, vacuum the furnace and vents with a brush attachment. Also, vacuum these areas once a month during the seasons you use your furnace.
Evans Mechanical provides heating and cooling maintenance, repair, and installation in Eureka and the surrounding areas. In emergency situations, we are available to conduct repairs at all hours all days of the week. For new installations, we offer financing options on approved credit to make the expense more manageable. Because we are a Bryant factory authorized dealer, you know that we will not only install quality systems but correctly too. Evans Mechanical also provides indoor air quality and tankless hot water heater installations for Eureka-area residents.
Contact us today to have your furnace inspected and cleaned before you turn it on for the season.