Furnaces: Important Maintenance Steps To Take Before The Winter
One of the most important parts in your home, particularly during the winter, is the furnace. This device brings warm air into your home, and in order to keep it working great, you can take these steps:
Replace the Air Filter
An integral part on your furnace is the air filter, as this part is responsible for collecting dirt and debris. If the filter gets too dirty, the furnace has to work harder in terms of moving warm air into your home. To keep this from happening, you need to replace the air filter as soon as it gets too dirty.
Take the filter out and hold it up in the light. If it's covered in dirt and dust, throw it away. Look at the dimensions on the old filter, so you select the right size for the replacement. You also might consider buying a high-efficiency pleated filter. This filter catches the smallest of particles, helping the warm air inside your home remain clean.
Clean Parts
You also need to clean other parts on your furnace – as this prevents them from breaking down and rusting over the years. Parts to pay particular attention to when cleaning include all of the belts, pulleys and blower assembly.
If you don't want to get your hands dirty during the cleaning process, you can use a portable air compressor. This device shoots out pressurized air, and you can rent it out to save some money. Spray air over the parts, making sure all of the debris and dirt get removed. Doing this as often as possible can keep the parts working for as long as possible.
Contact a Furnace Repair Specialist
Sometimes problems with your furnace may be too dangerous or difficult to fix. For instance, the pilot light may not work correctly on your furnace. For this problem, you can contact a furnace repair specialist.
The repair specialist will first check the tip of the pilot light – which can collect soot and other debris over the months. Using a stiff brush, the professional will remove debris from the tip, so that the flow of gas won't be blocked anymore.
Sometimes the ignition switch may stop lighting, preventing the ignition from working correctly. To fix this problem, the specialist will first turn off the thermostat. He or she will then reset the breaker box because sometimes this resets the ignition switch. If it still doesn't work, the specialist can replace the switch with a new one.
In order to keep your furnace working at an optimal level throughout the winter months, these steps can be taken. They can prevent you from having to deal with costly repairs in the future. Talk to experts like Maryland Oil Company for more information.
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