Winter Is Here! Is Your Furnace Working Properly?

With winter just around the corner, you do not want anything to jeopardize your ability to keep a warm and comfortable home. Naturally, you assume that your heater will work just as wonderfully as it did last year. But in reality, you probably have not even turned it on once during the hot summer months, and so, how do you know if it is working properly?

In Order To Find Out If Your Furnace Is Working Properly, Check The Following:

1. Is the power switch turned on? This may seem obvious to most, but sometimes it can be turned off without knowing and cause quit a panic! If your thermostat won’t display the correct information, or flashes a repeating message than just replace the batteries.
2. Is the blower compartment door properly aligned and secure? If not, this could keep the heat from reaching far away rooms in your home.
3. Are there any blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers? This can be easily fixed with a specialist so be sure to call if this is the case.
4. Is your thermostat set to the "HEAT" position? Note: your furnace will not heat your home faster if you set the temperature to the highest point possible. Keep it set at a reasonable temperature.
5. Is the filter clean? If not, clean it right away! Filters should be cleaned once a month in order to prevent low air circulation and other problems!

Furnaces need regular maintenance in order to work to their fullest capacity. If you have not cleaned out the filters, or checked for loose ductwork then your energy bills could actually increase this winter. This is because your furnace will not be able to warm your house as efficiently than if all the parts were working properly and cleaned. Also, if your furnace smells funny when you turn on your heating system it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dirty. It could be something more serious like an oil leak or combustion problem.