As the colder months grow closer and closer, it’s a good time to make sure that your home’s furnace is in working order. That way, you aren’t putting yourself at risk of any last-second complications, once the temperature has already dropped.
So, we’ve prepared a short guide on how to minimize the risk of furnace breakdowns, during the upcoming Oregon winter.
6 Steps to Prepare Your Home’s Furnace for Winter
Before winter arrives, try to work through each of the following steps. Then, you can be confident that your furnace will be good to go, as soon as you need it.
1. Clean Out Your Furnace Room
Especially since you’re probably not using the furnace room throughout the rest of the year, it’s not uncommon for the space to grow dusty or dirty when it’s not in use. Ensure that the space surrounding your furnace is clean; you should also vacuum the furnace’s surface.
2. Tend to the Furnace’s Filter
If your furnace filter needs to be either cleaned or replaced, then this is the time to do it. In fact, this is something that you should be doing on a regular basis, in order to ensure the health and longevity of your furnace. If a filter becomes blocked, it isn’t going to heat your home effectively — this can also result in higher heating bills.
3. Clean the Ducts or Vents
Make sure to clean the ducts and vents of your furnace, to ensure that there aren’t any blockages. If there are any barriers impeding upon the release of hot air, then your furnace isn’t going to function properly.
4. Check Up on the Fan Belt
For the sake of your furnace’s functionality, as well as your utility bills, you’ll need to make sure the fan or blower belt is in working order. Take a look at the belt’s tension, and make sure that you don’t find any indicators of deterioration.
5. Lubricate Your Furnace’s Bearings
This is especially true in the case of older furnaces, where the bearings tend to have a larger number of moving parts. In any case, you should be oiling the bearings of your furnace on a regular basis — otherwise, the bearings are far more likely to depreciate, leading to the need for expensive repairs.
6. Make Sure the Blower Doors Are Tightly Closed
Finally, ensure that the blower doors are securely closed. Otherwise, you run the risk of chemicals like carbon monoxide getting mixed into the warm air, which then circulates throughout your home.
R. Poust, Inc. Maintains and Repairs Furnaces
For those in the Sparta, New Jersey area, you can count on R. Poust, Inc. for all of your furnace maintenance and repair jobs. You can tell us more about your project through the contact form on our website today.
