As we get closer to the fall and heating season here in Garland, you might be thinking about ways you can get ready for the incoming cold weather. One great thing you can do to make sure you stay warm when the cold weather hits is to make sure your home's furnace system is running smoothly. We've heard it from customers before here in Garland, we get our first real cold snap of the winter season and they turn on their central furnace system and it either is working poorly or maybe not at all. Don't be that person, regular maintenance, cleaning and tune ups will keep your homes furnace system running as it should. At Air Central HVAC were your local professional furnace service team in Garland, we've been doing furnace maintenance checks for quite some time. If you want to schedule a tune up visit with our team we can absolutely get that on schedule, and if you want to take a few steps toward furnace maintenance yourself we have some tips.
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Maintenance For Your Homes Furnace
- 1: Furnace Inspection
- 2: General Cleaning
- 3. Check and Clear Your Homes Vents
- 4. Check the Blower Motor
- 5. Replace Your Filter
- 6. Call A Professional
A visual inspection of your furnace system is a good first step to take. If you notice black soot or combustion residuals on or around the furnace, that is not a good sign. That is something you should take note of and give us a call. Then turn on your system, by turning on the thermostat and setting it to heat, when that turns on go back to the furnace and check the flames in the burner. You want those to be blue and steady, not red or yellow and flickering. If there has been soot build up in the unit that can cause poor combustion, and yellow flickering flames are an indicator. If they are yellow you will need our help to clean.
After the visual inspection turn off your furnace, and turn off the power to the system at your circuit breaker for extra safety. Once your furnace cools down to a level where you can safely handle the system, remove the side panels and using a vacuum with a long nozzle remove all the debris that has been built up. There is probably general dust inside the system from operation. Then using a damp rag clean the blades of the blower fan and any other areas the vacuum cant reach.
Your central furnace system relies on your homes ductwork to circulate the air it heats throughout your living spaces. Your furnace could be in perfect condition, but if your vents are obstructed you are going to experience heating difficulties. Check all the vents in your home, are they open, adjusted to allow air to freely pass? If you have furniture blocking vents, you will have to adjust your furniture so your vents are free.
The furnace blower motor drives the fan that provides the air movement which heats your home. This is a very important item, and if its bad shape you'll likely have more expensive repairs down the line. The blower motor has a lot of working parts, and if these parts aren't maintained they will break down over time. If you notice any unusual sounds, like metal scraping, from your furnace this is a bad sign for the blower motor. A loud humming usually indicated an electrical problem. If you notice any odd sounds from your system give us a call for professional assistance. If you don't, make sure your blower motor parts are free from dust and debris.
Changing your home's furnace filter is a good thing to do every few months over the winter time here in Garland, so as you are getting ready for the upcoming winter it's a good idea to start with a fresh one. With a dirty furnace filter your system is going have a hard time working effectively, and your utility costs are going to be higher because it's going to have to work harder to push air through the system.
If you can perform those maintenance and tune-up steps for your furnace by yourself at your home in Garland that is great, but if you're unsure of any of the cleaning or system checks you can call us. The team at Air Central can get your furnace tune-up done here in Garland, and your system will be as good as new. IF you'd like to schedule an expert furnace maintenance visit with one of our technicians today give us a call for service in Garland.
