Winter is slowly coming to an end, and while we still have several weeks of cool weather at least, the temperature is going to start climbing very soon. This makes an ideal time to evaluate the state of your furnace and to make plans for it in the off-season. Spring is perfect to schedule repairs and maintenance if your system needs it, and to plan for a replacement furnace in the vent your existing system just isn’t doing the job anymore. As the weather starts to warm up, you can take some steps to maintain your furnace and plan for further steps if necessary.
Is It Time for a New Furnace?
Furnaces come with warranties guaranteeing their performance for a set amount of time. You can extend its life past that time in many cases with regular maintenance and judicious use. (More on that in a moment.) But sooner or later, your furnace will need to be replaced. That usually comes when the warranty has expired, along with either or both of the following circumstances:
- Monthly heating bills are getting higher than your budget can afford.
- Repair bills are becoming too frequent, or you’re faced with a single repair bill that’s higher than the system is worth.
Get Your Existing Furnace Serviced
Assuming your furnace still has plenty of life left in it, spring is a good time to schedule an annual maintenance session. Maintenance isn’t the same as a repair call, which is intended to address a specific problem. Instead, it’s designed to check the system for potential problems that may arise in the future, as well as taking care of little details like unclogging burners and lubricating moving parts.
That will help the system perform more efficiently, and regular maintenance sessions applied over time can help extend the life of the system. If more repairs are needed, you have all summer to take care of them and can schedule the session at your leisure.
Things You Can Do Yourself
On top of professional attention, there are several steps you can take yourself at the end of heating season. It starts with the filter, which can be easily cleaned or changed in most models. In some cases, the filter should be changed more often, but early spring is good time to do so if it’s been a while.
A carbon monoxide detector is a good addition to your home, to help spot leaks if your furnace runs into trouble. Most models run on batteries, and when changing your filters, it’s probably smart to change the batteries on yours at the same time.
Finally, if you have an older system that still runs on a pilot light, you should turn it off and put out the pilot light once you’re certain you won’t need the heater again until the fall. It saves gas and can reduce wear and tear on the pilot light, helping to extend its overall life.
For furnace services in Draper, UT, call upon At Your Service Plumbing, Heating & Air today!
