byAlma Abell

It is that time of the year when we really begin to enjoy a little heat in the house, and especially on cold mornings. You fiddle with the thermostat, but nothing happens that brings heat to the living quarters. You may hear the fan motor blowing so now you are mystified. The gas bill has been paid, the fan motor is running, the thermostat is set high enough to turn on the heat, but the only warmth you get is from the coffee.

You know as the day goes on it will probably get colder, or when night comes it will surely get colder. Perhaps this could have been avoided by a furnace check-up at the beginning of the season. Emergencies are usually identifiable long before they become a reality. For example, if the burners are cracked it will only be a matter of time before they quit working.

There are several parts that need to be inspected yearly. The burners or the heat exchanger should be checked but it is highly unlikely that carbon monoxide is escaping into the indoor air from a cracked burner or heat exchanger. Depending on the make of your furnace and assuming it was produced after 1990, there are many parts that should be checked. A Heating Emergency in Prince Georges, MD will be prevented if all of the pertinent parts are checked. Your local furnace repair company can check all of the appropriate parts and provide you with a written check list or report on their findings. If they discover something like the limit switch that is going to need replacing, then you should do it then to prevent that cold morning in the house. The Heating Emergency in Prince Georges, MD will not need to make an emergency call to your home if you follow the checkup procedure.

The motor should be checked for the operation of the bearings. The motor is a key part, and the repair company doing the check-up should oil the motor if it needs oiling, and they should advise you on where to oil it and how frequently. The belt tension should be checked because this drives the motor at the correct RPMs.

Don’t overlook the furnace filter which should be changed every month. Click here for more details!