Furnace Maintenance in San Diego is Important
We can’t stress enough the importance of a heater tune-up [1] or addressing heating repairs [2] before the air starts to get chilly. San Diego homeowners typically only use their furnaces in the 2 or 3 cold winter months and tend to ignore them throughout the rest of the year. However, the summer and fall months are the best time to tune up your San Diego furnace because it inevitably needs some sort of maintenance after a long spell of constant use and then dormancy. We like to use an automobile analogy a lot. After a long road trip, your car would likely be much closer to needing a tune up or at least an oil change. Likewise, if you left your car sitting for months, it would need maintenance to perform at its best or to avoid costly repairs before hitting the road again.
Neglecting Your Furnace Can Be Dangerous
There are many dangers to running your furnace without regular maintenance. If you use a damaged or broken furnace to heat your home, there is a high likelihood that it could explode or catch fire. No joking. Regardless of guarantees that are sold along with heating system, the life of the system really depends on the frequency of use (how often and how long) and how well you maintain the heating system. Certain parts of a furnace like a thermostat, piping, gauges, and valves will eventually wear out, just like any other appliance. Beyond the serious dangers of neglecting furnace maintenance, like a fire, your furnace can become downright annoying. Failure to maintain your heating system will result in loud noises and can cause your furnace to blow cold air. If you do notice these things, call a San Diego furnace repair service as soon as possible.
How Can You Help Get Your Furnace Ready for Winter?
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Turn on the thermostat – Alternate the cooling and heating and set the thermostat a few degrees higher than the current room temperature. Make sure the wire connections are secure (if you are comfortable doing so) if you don’t hear the heat firing up within a minute. Make sure the HVAC power source is turned on if the connections are snug. If that doesn’t work, you should check the blower or heater – but it probably makes more sense to call in a professional.
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Change the air filters – Every few months, change these filters. You can also wash and reuse an electrostatic filter if you have one. You can prolong the life of your HVAC system by cleaning or replacing your filters regularly.
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Lubricate the blower motor – Make sure you check your owner’s manual to see if your motor requires lubrication. Open the cover, remove the bearing caps, and turn off the power if it does. Once the bearings have been lubricated, replace the caps.
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Cover the AC condenser – To protect your HVAC from falling ice, cover the condenser, unless it’s a heat pump (in which case you shouldn’t cover it because it runs all year).
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Clean the heat exchanger – During the cleaning, an Anderson technician will look for cracks that could result in carbon monoxide leaks into your home.
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Test the ignitor switch – Older systems might require relighting the pilot. Electronic ignitors are used in newer systems. Reset the ignitor if it does not work. Check your breaker if that does not work. No luck? Contact us today.
Annual Furnace Safety Inspections & Tune-Ups
A neglected furnace can become virtually useless, more costly to operate and most of all, dangerous. The solution is to get on a regular maintenance schedule. We recommend a once per year, pre-season tune-up and safety inspection. If you, like many other San Diego homeowners, have ignored the existence of your furnace since last January or February, it’s not too late. Check out our San Diego Furnace Tune-up Special [3]. If you have other concerns about furnace safety, give us a call or contact us online [4]. Ask about our VIP Service Agreement. This is a simple way to make sure all of your home’s plumbing, heating and air systems are maintained regularly and grants you front-of-the-line service during busy seasons.