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Don't Wait Until You Need It: Furnace Repair Before Winter
Summer is the perfect time for furnace repair and maintenance, and other heating repair issues. One reason for this is the availability of furnace technicians. Another is that preventative maintenance is always less stressful than furnace repair when it’s freezing outside.
Some HVAC dealers even offer incentives or other specials for heating repair services during the summer, which means they can fit you in and you won't be left in the cold.
What You Should Know About Furnace Repair
To familiarize yourself with your furnace you may want to review how a furnace works, and exercise some of the preventative maintenance yourself. Here are some things you can tackle, if you're up to it:
- Confirm that the furnace cycles through start-up to shut-down via your thermostat.
- Check the supply (small grates in each room) and return air (large grate, usually in a hallway) temperature to make sure your thermostat is accurate.
- Clean and level your thermostat. For older thermostats this ensures proper function since many of them have liquid mercury switches. And always, this is aesthetically more eye pleasing.
- There is a safety switch on all furnace doors that “pops out” when the door is removed. Make sure this is unobstructed and clean
- Look at all the visible wiring and electrical connections for burns or unraveling/loose wire nuts or tape.
- Check the condition of your vent connection pipe and chimney for rust or gaps. Venting system parts can deteriorate over time.
If you decide to hire a specialist, go well-armed into your search for a company. Here are a few questions that you could ask of the HVAC dealer you are considering:
- Which is the best furnace on the market?
- Is my furnace operating at peak performance?
- Is my furnace energy efficient?
- Could I save money on my utility bills with a new furnace?
- How closely can I manage my home comfort with your line of furnaces?
- Which furnaces have easy-to-clean filters?
- Which of the heating manufacturers you represent have been around the longest?
- How long has your company been in business?
- How quickly can you typically respond in an emergency situation?
- Do you have any special furnace service or maintenance plans?
- What are your billing and payment methods and terms?
- Do you have client references I could contact?
Again, during the hotter months, furnace repair maintenance and other heating repair issues can be taken care of by widely available professionals at a time when you aren’t relying too heavily on your heating system. And it’s likely that you won’t have to wait in line.
