It’s time to give your furnace a break

With warm weather right around the corner, spring cleaning will soon be underway. 

 

Scrubbing your house from top to bottom may be at the top of the list, however it is important to include caring for your furnace as part of your chores. Spring cleaning your HVAC system as it adapts to seasonal change is crucial, and entails everything from cleaning filters to administering repairs both outside and indoors.

 

“Most people turn off the ‘heat’ switch on their thermostat each spring and leave it at that until it starts to cool off in the autumn, and simply flip it to ‘cool’ when summer is bearing down,” says Stephen Schroeter, senior vice-president of the Napoleon group of companies. “But to ensure long life and safe operation of your furnace and air conditioning units, a little more care is required.”

 

Here are helpful tips provided by experts at Napoleon for shutting down your furnace and cranking up the A/C for the new season:

• Lower the thermostat in your home to a minimum temperature and allow it to complete its current heating cycle.  Once this cycle ends, turn off the power switch on the furnace to permit proper shutdown. For a gas furnace, turn the furnace valve clockwise to complete this process. 

• Clean filters in your furnace to allow open airflow through the ventilation system. Avoiding this step could lead to performance problems when your furnace is re-activated for the winter.  

• Ensure air conditioning units are in proper condition ahead of time. Check the condenser unit outside of your home for damage or debris, and clean coils so heat is properly transferred outdoors. 

• Check to see if condenser fins on your unit are straight and free of bends. Condenser fins on your unit can become warped due to forceful weather, natural debris or careless maintenance. 

• Change the filter on your air conditioning system and vents throughout your home. Doing so will help remove unwanted debris and increase the lifecycle of your unit.

 

Since spring is the perfect time to start fresh, switching over your HVAC system should be at the top of your checklist.