With winter getting closer, it is time to start winterizing your home so that you are prepared when the cold weather hits. When that cold weather arrives, it is imperative that your heating system is ready to go without delay. Following this guide to furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO will help you make sure your heating system is ready for the challenge:
- Check air filters: After months of hard work every year, the filters in your HVAC system have probably accumulated a substantial amount of dirt and other debris. Checking the condition of your filters not only ensures that warm air will flow undisturbed throughout your home all winter, but also that your family will have clean, quality air to breathe all season.
- Check the chimney: Between extensive fireplace use and heavy winters over the years, your chimney might not be in the best shape. That is why it is a good idea to have a professional check your chimney every year to make sure it hasn’t sustained any structural damage, or collected an immense amount of debris or creosote. Creosote accumulates every time you use your fireplace, and if it goes unattended for too long, a chimney fire could potentially break out.
- Check burners: Furnace burners should be checked and cleaned at least once a year, because faulty burners could cause your entire heating system to fail. To check your burners, remove the small chamber door on your furnace and make sure there isn’t any dust, dirt or rust covering any of the burners. After you have inspected the state of the actual burners, turn on your furnace to observe their operation. A blue flame indicates that your burners are in suitable condition, while a yellow flame is a good indication that a burner is old and needs to be replaced. If you see that the flame is yellow or that no flame appears at all, you should call a professional to make adjustments or install new burners.
- Check air vents and ducts: If air filters aren’t maintained properly, the collection of debris could blow back into the tubing of your HVAC system and cause blockages that could weaken the air flow in your home. To check the condition of the ducts, turn off your HVAC system and unscrew the vent cover to check for any visible blockage. You should also check for any weaknesses that may be perceptible in the actual ductwork at this time. Even if your filters are consistently cleaned, dirt and other small objects might still find their way into the conduit of your heating system.
- Consult a professional: While there are some things that you will easily be able to remedy yourself, it is best to have a professional come in and perform comprehensive maintenance and cleaning on your heating system. An experienced technician already knows which problem areas to check, and can troubleshoot any of the more difficult issues that you might run into while preparing your furnace for another winter. Bringing in professional help is the best way to guarantee that your heating system will work safely and efficiently all season.
If you haven’t been able to find the right professional for all of your HVAC needs just yet, call Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling. In addition to your furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO, we can repair any trouble units in time for the winter, so act now before you’re left in the cold.
Just when it seemed like winter would never end and we’d be stuck with cold temperatures and heavy precipitation for months and months to come, spring finally arrived! Unfortunately, while springtime weather may be a welcome sight for sore eyes, its late arrival means a narrower window before summer quickly follows… which means you have a limited time to make sure your home is getting the attention it needs after such a long season!
One of the things you should consider amongst the never-ending list of springtime chores for your home is to have your furnace cleaned. Often, people are more worried about prepping their AC units for the season ahead (and rightfully so) than they are about giving their furnace a proper shutdown. The result, come fall and winter, is a furnace that might roar back to life with some issues that have been left to fester for the better part of a year.
Investing in furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO is a way to avoid a lot of trouble come fall. In having your furnace inspected and cleaned right before the summer season, you’ll be able to know confidently that it’s ready, willing and able to wake up in the fall when you need it most, and perform to a high level of function right away. Plus, this will eliminate the need for comprehensive startup services come fall—your unit will be in great shape, with only minor attention required.
So back to the question at hand: why invest in a furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO now? Why not just do it in the fall, when your HVAC is performing startup services? Let us count the reasons:
- If dust, debris and dirt sit in your furnace environment all winter, they’re going to harden and oxidize into problems that can detract from your furnace.
- Not changing the filter can result in crusting debris that lingers even if you do manage to change the filter in the fall.
- If you don’t clean your furnace now, you might forget come winter! Spring is associated with cleaning, which means you’re more likely to get this task out of the way while it’s convenient.
- Spring means your furnace has just made it through yet another enduring season of heavy use and high function—now, more than ever, it needs to be cleaned! Think of it like working out at the gym: when you get home, you want a nice shower to feel clean again!
Taking care of your furnace now is going to be a smart decision that you’ll reflect on come the end of summer and the start of fall and colder temperatures. Knowing that you undertook furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO earlier in the year is going to give you the peace of mind that you need when it finally comes time to turn on the heat in the fall. Why do tomorrow what you could do today—especially if it’ll save you time and frustration down the line?
If you have a furnace, then you are aware of its importance in your home’s heating system—it’s the part of the system that generates the heat used to warm your house during cold weather. But for your furnace to operate properly, it must be inspected and cleaned periodically, especially the heat exchanger. A furnace’s heat exchanger is an internal device designated for moving heat from one component to another through coils specifically designed for heating the air. Basically, this part of the furnace is designed to heat up the indoor air, and thus keep you warm during the coldest months of the year.
Regular maintenance is the smartest way to keep yourself and your family warm and cozy all winter long, as well as prevent expensive fixes and even avoid furnace unit replacements. There are many ways you can benefit from furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO—here are five of those benefits:
- It won’t have to work as hard: It’s a fact that furnaces with a clean filter and clean components will run more efficiently, thus providing better heat and healthier air to breathe. On the other hand, a dirty furnace covered in a layer of dust and grime will be required to work harder and longer to get warm air to you. If your furnace has to work harder, then you’ll have to work harder, too, in order to be able to pay for costly heating bills this winter!
- You’ll be able to run it safely: Taking the time for furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO can save you from having to shell out costly replacement prices for an entirely new furnace unit, and possibly even its components that run throughout the home. But more importantly, neglecting to clean the heat exchanger can lead to cracking, which can allow poisonous carbon monoxide gas to seep into your home.
- You’ll have better indoor air quality: Because the furnace goes to work every time you turn the heater on, a first step toward better indoor air quality is to clean reusable filters or replace disposable filters. Your furnace’s filter is made to catch air contaminants, which contribute not only to allergies, indoor stuffiness and breathing issues, but also to furnace inefficiency.
- It will last a long time: From the furnace filter to the heat exchanger, motor and electronic controls, keep your furnace and its components going strong for years to come with proper maintenance. Clean and take care of your furnace, as dirty parts cause premature aging and lead to eventual damage.
- Maintenance will be easier: Overall, cleaning your home furnace regularly will make life easier when the cold weather is here to stay. Turn off the furnace, make sure the filter is clean of all dirt and debris by vacuuming or washing and drying it (if reusable) and wipe down the unit of any buildup. For additional reassurance, consider calling in the pros from time to time for a heater tune-up.
Preventative home maintenance is of the utmost importance and should be at the top of every homeowner’s to-do list. By not skipping furnace cleaning in St. Louis, MO, you can rest assured your home will remain comfortable and warm through the chilly winter months. Call Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling today to schedule an appointment.
