Consider this- it’s the middle of January- you wake up in the morning to find you can see your breath. The pipes that provide your water are beginning to freeze. Your frozen digits can barely pick up your cell phone to call a furnace company, where, once you either navigate through voice mail jail or are put on hold for 20 minutes you discover that no one can come out to your house for a day or two, and when they do it will cost more than open heart surgery.
That’s the trials and tribulations of having one’s furnace fail in Michigan. Well, as Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” He may have had his heat provided in old Philadelphia by steam or wood, but a good old clean and check for the modern gas furnace is essential so one may enjoy a warm toasty winter.
Most furnace companies offer a maintenance contract- they’ll come out in the spring and fall and inspect the unit and repair or address problems. We’ll focus here on what needs to be done in the fall. A competent contractor uses this simple checklist:
- Check filters- replace if needed.
- Check Burners- if they are cast iron, a wire brush and compressed air can clean them up.
- Check to see the Burners light smoothly- Adjust air shutters to ensure safe, efficient operation.
- Check the temperature to ensure it is within the manufacturer’s limit.
- Check vent motor performance Inspect the vent system Check fresh air ventilation.
- Check the heat exchanger for cracks, corrosion or sooting.
- Depending on the make, year or model of the furnace, your contractor will inspect other components also.
At this point, the contractor will either give your furnace a clean bill of health, or, make recommendations for repair. This is the time to invest if they do the latter. Follow Mr. Franklin’s lead, and you’ll likely never wake up to a furnace not working and you’ll enjoy the experience people in Michigan go through every year- winter.
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