How To Prepare Your Furnace for Wintertime

JMB A/C & Heating in Chalmette, LA, helps to keep your home or place of business as comfortable as possible throughout the year. Summer is nearly over, and the cooler winter months will be here very soon. The change of seasons raises the question: When should I maintain my furnace?

Early fall is the best time to learn how to prepare your furnace for winter and schedule any professional assistance that you might need from our highly skilled and experienced HVAC technicians. When you know how to prepare your furnace for winter, you should get the most efficient and safest use throughout the colder winter months.

Replace Air and Oil Filters in Your Furnace

Your furnace needs clean air that it can heat and circulate through your home without spreading dust and microscopic particles that could be bad for your health. Checking and changing the air filter as needed will help to keep the airflow clean and constant while your furnace is in use.

If your furnace is powered by oil, you should change the oil filter and nozzle to obtain the best and most efficient performance from your home’s heating unit.

Check the Igniter or Light the Pilot

Newer furnaces have an igniter that you switch on to enable the furnace to produce heat. Older models have a pilot light that you need to ignite and leave burning to produce heat when needed.

You can check an igniter and make sure it is clean and free of dust, debris, or grease to work. If the igniter does not work, you can try the reset button. If that does not work, you should check the circuit breaker. If neither the reset button nor the igniter works, you can call a specialist.

The element for the pilot light should be clean and in good condition. The connection to the gas also should be clean and enable the gas to flow to the furnace and not leak into your home.

Maintain the Heat Exchanger and Blower Motor

An experienced technician can brush off and vacuum the heat exchanger to remove dust and debris and ensure it is working. The technician can also inspect it and ensure it will not leak gas or carbon monoxide into your home.

The technician also can lubricate the blower motor. A lubricated blower motor will run quietly and smoothly while circulating heat throughout your home.

Cover the A/C Condenser

The final step is to cover the external A/C condenser and air intake that draws outdoor air into the system for cooling during the summer months. Covering the condenser and air intake will prevent cold air from entering the HVAC system and help keep dirt, debris, and pests from going inside.

Many of our customers at JMB A/C & Heating in Chalmette contact us to schedule a furnace inspection to ensure it is in peak operating condition. You can do the same by calling (985) 290-4395 and speaking with our friendly and professional staff.

Categorised in: Heating Services