Tips On Making Sure Your Furnace Is Working

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Since Fall is officially here, it's time to start unpacking all the scarves, jackets and warm sweaters. For your home, making sure your furnace is properly working is crucial in keeping you and your family warm through the cold months ahead. Here are some tips and advice for making sure your furnace is working!

Although it hasn't been especially cold so far this fall, it's still a good idea to fire up your gas furnace and leave it running long enough to make sure it's working properly.

"People think it's a game to see how long they can hold out before turning their furnace on," says Sal Sidoti of Sal's Heating & Cooling Inc. (salsheatingandcooling.net) in North Royalton. "But if you wait until the furnace is really needed, and it turns out it isn't functioning, then it becomes an expensive emergency."

Even if a test run proves the furnace is humming along nicely and pumping out heat, it's still smart to have the machinery inspected by a professional, say Sidoti and other HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) specialists. And you should do so yearly.

"There are little things you can check yourself, such as the batteries in the thermostat and the filter, to be sure it's clean," Sidoti says. "You can also check the service switch on the side to make sure it's turned on. Kids like to play with that switch. I've received a lot of calls when that turned out to be the problem."

With regular tuneups, HVAC equipment can last 15 to 20 years, says Paul Wadsworth of P.K. Wadsworth Heating and Cooling, (pkwadsworth.com) in Solon. But preventive maintenance makes all the difference in longevity.

Generally, an inspection involves:

• A safety test for carbon monoxide.

• Checking for hazardous debris in the chimney.

• Cleaning and reinstalling air filters.

• Checking thermostat and safety controls.

• Checking the gas pilot safety system and clean if needed.

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