Spring Maintenance Tips For Your Furnace
Your furnace is one of the most important parts of your home HVAC system. It keeps you warm in the winter and cools in the summer, but it also needs some care and maintenance to stay in tip-top shape. Spring is a great time to give your furnace a little love and attention. Keep reading to learn some maintenance tips that will help you keep your heating and cooling services running smoothly and safely all year long.
Clean The Furnace
Spring is the best time of year to perform a full cleaning and maintenance routine for your furnace. This will help your furnace run efficiently, keep your home warmer, and prevent problems in the future. A good furnace cleaner will remove dust, debris, and sludge from your furnace’s internal components. Keeping your furnace clean and free of blockages will ensure that it runs as efficiently as possible, so you won’t have to worry about paying more for fuel than necessary or costly heating repairs.
Change The Air Filter
Changing your air filter is one of the most important preventive maintenance tasks you can do for your furnace. Not only does it improve your indoor air quality, but it can also save you money by improving the efficiency of your AC and furnace. Typically, the air filter is located between the ductwork that brings air in from the house and the internal blower unit of your furnace or air handler (it can be found inside these units too). In some cases it can be difficult to find, because of the location of the system. If you do not know where your current filter is, locate it by looking in the return air duct near the furnace or indoor unit (it can be found in basements, crawl spaces, garages and attics). There may be an access door on this duct that will allow you to remove the existing filter and replace it with a new one.
Check The Thermostat
Your thermostat is one of the most critical parts of your heating and cooling system. It should deliver trouble-free service over many years. However, like any manufactured product, it can fail and leave you without heat or cool air. Fortunately, you can test your thermostat to see if it’s working properly. To do this, find the two wires that connect it to your furnace and undo their terminals with a screwdriver. Once you’ve removed them, twist each wire together and see if the blower starts when you turn your home’s circuit breaker back on. If your thermostat doesn’t start the blower after you do this, it might be faulty and needs to be replaced. If your furnace has a manual pilot light, make sure it is lit by lighting a match over the pilot orifice while holding down the reset button for 60 seconds. If this doesn’t work, contact us for assistance.
Furnace installation is a complicated process that requires qualified HVAC professionals to complete. If you attempt to do it yourself, you could end up causing more damage and paying for a major repair down the road. A professional is a person who performs a specific activity for gain or compensation as a permanent career. These include doctors, engineers, lawyers, architects and commissioned military officers.
They Have The Right Tools
Furnace installation is a complicated process that requires specialized tools. HVAC work often involves sheet metal and ductwork, which can be dangerous for do-it-yourselfers. A furnace must be properly hooked up to the main electrical system of the home. If you don’t know what you’re doing, there’s a chance that you could cut wires and get electrocuted.
Most heating pros have the proper equipment and know how to install a furnace correctly. They also back up their work and can offer a labor warranty. Whether you’re installing a new furnace at your own house or your neighbor’s, it’s always better to leave the job to professionals.
You’ll save money in the long run, too. A professional will help you choose a furnace that’s the right size for your home, so it doesn’t waste energy and is more efficient. They’ll also perform regular maintenance checks and repairs to ensure that your new system keeps working as it should.
They Know What To Look For
If you’re looking for a professional to work on your furnace, it’s a good idea to take the time to do some research. The right HVAC pros will be able to quickly identify any problems with your system that may require immediate attention and avoid the need for more serious repairs later on.
Whether your furnace isn’t producing heat or cycling on and off frequently, check the thermostat first. Make sure it’s properly set to the correct temperature and that there’s power to it. If your thermostat is showing a low battery symbol, install new batteries immediately. A faulty thermostat is one of the most common causes of trouble with your furnace.
They Have The Experience
When you hire a professional to work on your furnace, they have the right knowledge and experience to make sure the job is done correctly. This is why they’re the best choice for this type of job. If you decide to do the job yourself, you may not know what wires to cut without getting electrocuted or how to connect ductwork to ensure that your furnace doesn’t leak dangerous gases like carbon monoxide.
Another important thing to consider is that they have liability insurance which will protect you in case anything goes wrong while they are working on your system. They also have the skills and tools to get the job done in a timely manner so that you don’t have to wait too long.
Having your furnace serviced on a regular basis will help you avoid having to worry about it not heating up during cold winter nights. It will also save you a lot of money on energy bills since your system will be running more efficiently.
They Are Just Safer
Whether you’re a new homeowner or just upgrading your old system, a professional can help you save money on furnace repair services in the long run. That’s because they know how to choose the right furnace for your home and can make recommendations that boost its energy efficiency.
They’ll also ensure that your furnace is installed correctly to keep you and your family safe. Then, they’ll perform annual inspections to identify any potential issues so you can make repairs before they get worse. Performing maintenance services on time can help you increase the lifespan of your heating system by ensuring it’s running at peak performance.
Finally, they’re covered by insurance, so they won’t be held responsible if something goes wrong while they’re working on your system. This can help you avoid costly compensation for injuries and damages. That’s why it’s always a wise idea to hire a professional HVAC company to install your furnace at home!
Experts in the HVAC industry agree that furnace maintenance and furnace repair in St Louis, MO is cheaper than having to replace major components. Now that winter is over, it’s time to stop using the heater and time to kick on the air conditioner! Before you do anything, let’s take a look at why end-of-season maintenance is so important, followed by some pro tips for proper furnace cleaning in St Louis, MO.
The importance of end of season maintenance
Depending on the area where you live, you might have started using your heating system in October, or maybe even closer to December. Regardless of when you first turned it on, chances are you used it on a regular basis over a few months’ time. A busy furnace accumulates wear and tear, gunk and debris, and components can jiggle loose, which is why you need to add the furnace to your spring cleaning list. But should you perform furnace maintenance yourself? While homeowners can do some visual inspections and cleanings on their own, the HVAC industry recommends scheduling professional checkups each season. This ensures problems are not overlooked so your furnace can get back to work next winter.
Spring maintenance tips
Investing a little time to address AC and furnace maintenance needs can pay off big-time. Here are some tips to help you close down your furnace for spring:
- Change the filter: An air filter clogged with dust, pet dander, pollen, bacteria and other airborne debris is an inefficient filter, while a fresh filter allows better airflow and brings cleaner air to your inside spaces. For this reason, changing the air filter is one of the best things you can do for your furnace after winter has passed. You don’t have to think about all the dust and grime trapped in the filter because you can see it when you remove it!
- Dust components: Whether your winter was dry or wet, the season usually creates a lot of dust. This dust can settle onto your HVAC system, and can even get sucked inside through vents, ductwork and dirty filters. Clearing dust away from your furnace keeps particles from getting inside the unit and prevents common fire hazards.
- Clean the outdoor unit: If you have an outdoor AC unit as a part of your HVAC system, check it for salt, gunk, mud and mineral deposits. Clear away any debris blockage to avoid problems with your system later on. Also, be sure to remove leaves, cut grass, dirt and other debris from around it throughout the warmer months.
- Install a new thermostat: Spring is a great time to consider upgrading your HVAC system’s thermostat. Choose a programmable or wi-fi thermostat to improve indoor comfort and energy efficiency.
- Schedule maintenance service: Early spring is a good time to schedule a professional HVAC checkup and tune-up. An expert will service your furnace to ensure it’s ready to go next winter and inspect your air conditioner in anticipation of warmer days ahead.
If you need to schedule seasonal maintenance or need an HVAC repair in St Louis, MO, contact Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling today!
Car exhaust, smog, pollen and other air pollutants make outdoor air quality a big topic of discussion. What we don’t talk about a lot, though, is the quality of the air inside your home. Does it matter as much as the air quality outside? The answer, simply put, is yes! Keep reading to learn more about indoor air quality and the benefits of furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO.
The benefits of good indoor air quality
First things first, why do people put such a premium on good indoor air quality? Here are a few of the top reasons, other than just wanting a happy and healthy home:
- Reduced allergens: Pollen, dust, pet dander and other allergens in the air make life miserable for everyone who is susceptible to their effects. You can mitigate these allergy problems by keeping your indoor air as clean as can be.
- Fewer breathing problems: Itchy eyes and runny noses make life uncomfortable, but anyone with asthma or other breathing problems can be in serious jeopardy. Ensure your loved ones are safe and won’t have trouble breathing by keeping allergens out of the air.
- Lower energy bills: Dirty air nearly guarantees that you’re going to pay more each month for your heating and cooling bills. If your air filters are clogged from debris and contaminants in the air, your HVAC system will have to work harder to produce air, meaning it’ll use up more energy.
How can I boost my air quality?
We have good news for you if your indoor air quality is poor right now: it’s pretty easy to fix. Follow the tips below, and we suspect you’ll be breathing much easier very soon:
- Clean your furnace: Think about it—a clean furnace pumps out clean air. Scheduling annual furnace cleaning in St Louis, MO is one of the best ways to keep your air pristine as can be. Fall is the best time to have your furnace cleaned, but it’s never too late to give us a call for cleaning or general maintenance.
- Change your filters: Having your furnace cleaned once a year will undoubtedly help produce clean air, but in addition to scheduling cleaning, you’ll also need to swap out your air filter each month. Air filters trap pollutants from entering your home and, as you can imagine, they get pretty dirty as you run your furnace. As filters get dirty, they become less effective and eventually useless.
- Open the windows: This one is easy—just open up your windows from time to time! Keeping your windows open for a little bit will let nice fresh air in while getting rid of stale, dirty air. Just be sure to put screens on all of your windows. Opening screen-less windows will just let more pollutants (like dust and pollen) inside, not to mention insects.
Whether you need an HVAC inspection, tune-up or furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO, be sure to call Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling. We’re pleased to be your go-to team for all of your heating and cooling needs.
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