Summer Is the Perfect Time to Think About Your Furnace

Thoughts of your furnace might seem out of place as temperatures rise. However, the offseason is actually an appropriate time to take care of a few furnace-maintenance issues and put the system to bed until cooler weather returns. Hopefully, by now, you’ve also scheduled professional air conditioning preventative maintenance with your HVAC contractor to ensure that cooling components are properly inspected and serviced to prepare for the long, hot season ahead.

As you make plans to enjoy another summer in the Coastal Bend, here are a few summer furnace thoughts to keep in mind too.

Turn off the gas flow.

Usually, there’s a valve on the furnace gas line that turns 90 degrees to shut off the flow. By turning off the pilot light, you’ll save about $10 in gas over the summer. Even if the furnace utilizes an electronic igniter instead of a pilot light, shutting off the gas flow now is a good, just-in-case safety measure to keep in your summer furnace thoughts.

Don’t store stuff near the furnace.

The furnace closet or enclosure shouldn’t become an extra storage space over the summer. It’s too easy to get into the habit of placing items that might be flammable near the furnace, thus creating a fire hazard once the heating system’s operating again.

Get any pending issues fixed now.

If you’ve been putting up with annoying furnace problems during the heating season, contact your HVAC contractor for a service call to resolve them now. Summer’s a good time to get it done, because heating-system service calls are less frequent during hot weather, so technicians are more available.

Check out your carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.

They’re critical safety components in any home that has a gas-fired furnace or appliance. Keep CO detectors in your summer furnace thoughts by pressing the “Test” button on the unit monthly. In battery-operated units, batteries should be replaced every six months.

In addition to sun and fun, remember to keep summer furnace thoughts in mind as well. Contact the professionals at CCAC for more information.