Homeowners across the country wait for the last possible moment to switch on their heat, often braving chilly temperatures to, understandably, save money on those utility bills, which are bound to escalate when you’ve got to run your furnace night and day. On the other hand, it’s really not such a good idea to wait until cold weather strikes to turn on your heat. Instead, you’ll want to turn it on well before you need to in order to ascertain that it’s in good functioning order.
Turn It On
Once you turn on the heat to ensure your furnace or boiler is operating properly, pay attention to your sense of smell. If you notice a burning odor, which is sometimes common, make sure that there is not smoke or actual fire coming from your furnace. If you notice such an event, turn off the heat and notify the fire department. Hopefully, however, you won’t see smoke or flames. The burning smell should quickly subside, but if it doesn’t, you should switch off your system and call our techs for a tune-up and inspection.
Feel the Ducts
After turning on your furnace, you’ll want to feel the ducts to see make sure that warm air is blowing through. If you notice that the ducts or even walls are vibrating, that’s another clear sign that a tune-up is called for.
Replace the Carbon Monoxide Detector’s Batteries
It’s essential to make sure that your carbon monoxide detectors are working so they can do their job by keeping your home and family safe in the event of a carbon monoxide leak. If your detector goes off, you should switch off your furnace and leave your home until your detector reading falls under 30. In the meantime, call our emergency repair service to perform the service and maintenance checks your system requires.
Listen
If you hear your furnace making any unusual sounds, you may also want to switch it off again and call us to provide an annual tune-up. If you feel like your system is struggling, it may very well be–and that could put too much strain on it. We can fix the issue before it becomes a larger one.
It’s a good idea to call our service well in advance of the frigid weather so we can perform this routine maintenance check for you. That way, we’ll be on site to make any necessary repairs needed to get your furnace ready for winter.