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As winter approaches the Michigan area, now is the perfect time to address furnace maintenance and preparation. A few simple tips, combined with the help of our team at Service Professor, can ensure that you are well-prepared for freezing temperatures.
Change Your Filter
If you haven’t changed your filter in a while, now is the time to do so in preparation for winter. We recommend sticking to a schedule of replacing your filter every one to three months. If you or someone in your home suffers from allergies, consider more frequent replacement. In between changing your filter, inspect it for signs of debris accumulation or damage. Failing to replace your filter can cause your heating system to work harder to meet your temperature demands. This can strain your equipment and result in frequent repairs.
Cleaning Vents, Registers, and Returns
After a long summer of using your air conditioning equipment, areas like your vents, registers, and returns may become dirty. Wipe these areas with a damp cloth to prevent concerns about indoor air quality. This also prevents particulate matter from circulating back into your HVAC system and accumulating on interior components.
Checking Thermostat Settings
Ensure that you have switched your thermostat to the heat or auto setting. If your HVAC is set to cool or turned off, your furnace won’t turn on. There is also a fan-only setting that allows you to feel the unheated air coming from the vents. You can also ask a professional to check the calibration of your thermostat when you get a tune-up.
Consider the schedule you have programmed into your thermostat (if you have a programmable model). Your daily schedule may have changed, and you’ll need to adjust accordingly. Lower the temperature of your home while you’re away to reduce your furnace’s use. This can protect the integrity of your HVAC system but also save you money on monthly utility bills.
If you don’t already have one, consider upgrading to a smart thermostat before the start of winter. You can use this smart device to make remote adjustments, gather data on energy consumption, and receive alerts when an issue occurs.
Completing a Test Run
It’s important to run your furnace before the temperatures plummet. If anything malfunctions and you can’t achieve heating, you’ll have plenty of time to schedule a service appointment. Adjust the thermostat setting to a few degrees higher than the current temperature. You should hear your furnace turn on and start to run a few seconds later. Allow your furnace to run for a few minutes and check the vents to see if warm air is coming out.
Keep in mind, you may notice a slight dusty smell coming from your vents when you first start up your furnace. This is because of debris that has accumulated on the interior components of your furnace. The smell should go away within a few minutes. If you notice a burning smell or smoke coming from your vents, this is not normal. Turn off your furnace and contact a professional.
Sealing Cracks and Gaps
Even new homes can experience small gaps and cracks around areas like the foundation, windows, and doors. These spaces allow conditioned air to escape and cold air to enter the home. We recommend sealing these areas using products like weatherstripping, expanding spray foam, or caulk. This can help boost indoor comfort, protect the integrity of your furnace, and ensure optimal indoor air quality. You can even keep pests out of your home by sealing up these gaps and cracks. When the weather turns chilly, these intruders often try to come indoors to find safety from the elements.
Scheduling a Professional Inspection
Having someone from our team inspect your furnace at least once a year is imperative. We recommend scheduling your furnace maintenance appointment for late summer or early winter. Ideally, an inspection should be conducted before you need to use your heating equipment. Our goal is to spot problems before they turn into equipment failures or emergencies.
We will check your furnace’s burners, blower motor, and heat exchanger. We verify they are clean, functioning correctly, and free of damage. We also check belts, pulleys, and electrical connections. This ensures reliability and efficiency.
We want to make sure you and your family are safe. We will check your furnace for gas leaks (if you use gas to power your unit), carbon monoxide leaks, and combustion issues. We will measure airflow to ensure you receive conditioned air throughout your entire residence.
Lubricating Moving Parts
Professional maintenance includes the lubrication of moving parts in your furnace. This includes blower motors and belts. By reducing friction, we protect the integrity of components.
Have a Storm Plan
In areas with a high risk of substantial snowfall, it’s a good idea to have a storm plan in place. Many homes have an exhaust vent attached to their furnace that runs outside. If that vent becomes covered with snow, your furnace has a safety feature that shuts down its operation. Have a method to remove snow from your vents. This can include going out every couple of hours to manually clear the snow or accessing a vent from a window to ensure clearance.
Spotting Furnace Issues Early
When you use your furnace again after spring and summer, there are some signs of issues to look out for. Prompt professional attention can protect your furnace from extensive or permanent damage.
In addition to bad smells or smoke coming from vents, make sure cold air isn’t coming from your vents. A lack of heat can indicate problems with your ignition, heating elements, or thermostat.
Unusual noises, such as banging or rattling, may indicate that you have loose components in your furnace. Fan blades or motor components may also be experiencing issues.
Short cycling refers to an HVAC system turning on and off frequently without completing a full heating or cooling cycle. You may have airflow restrictions caused by a dirty filter. Ignition issues or a problem with your flame sensor may be to blame. Low gas pressure is another common problem that can cause short cycling. We recommend that you have your system checked by a professional if you suspect gas issues.
If your breaker is tripping frequently when your furnace is running, we can inspect for electrical issues. You may have an overloaded circuit or a short circuit that is causing this issue. Electrical strain may be occurring because of dirty interior components or airflow restrictions. Aging interior elements, such as wires, switches, and relays, may need to be replaced.
Here at Service Professor, we can help get your furnace ready for the long winter ahead. We can inspect your furnace, perform routine maintenance, and make necessary repairs, and our MVP Program makes it easy and saves you money. Our team can also help you choose a new furnace and take care of the installation before the start of winter. If you have an ancient unit, replacement can boost efficiency, comfort, and reliability. Contact our team at Service Professor in the Southwest Michigan area to schedule an appointment.
