Heaters are essential during the winter season for individuals living outside America’s sun-belt.
Unfortunately, heaters are not simple systems. In fact, each heating system, whether it’s a furnace, a water heater, a gas heater or a space heater has complex integrated parts. Each of these parts can experience a plethora of issues.
Heating repair specialists go through years of training to ensure they can troubleshoot any conceivable issue encountered. However, until someone realizes they have a problem, they can’t have professionals check it out. Sometimes, people see a small problem and call a technician out and spend money they could have saved by simply educating themselves.
Figure Out Your Furnace’s Basic Parts
You might not want to go out and become an HVAC engineer. However, there are simple steps you can take to gain a greater understanding of how your heater functions.
Learn the location of your furnace’s air filter. You can check this frequently for dirt, grime and other obstructions that may have found their way into the heating system like coins or other small objects. Keeping your filter clean is simple, provides some preventative maintenance, and improves your overall indoor air quality.
Figure out your electrical systems. If you figure out where your heater links to your home’s power grid, you will be able to quickly assess at later times whether or not your heater issues are rooted in electrical issues. This can save a lot of timely troubleshooting; especially if all you need to do is flip the circuit breaker.
Learn the sound of a healthy heater. Once you are positive that your heater is functioning at 100%, turn it on and bask in the sound of its healthy heating process. This may seem extremely simple, but it is often forgotten. If this sound changes and you experience things like grinding, popping, hissing or clanking, contact a professional.
Be educated on the smells of your heater. This may seem simple but it’s a very important step. Sometimes a musty or dusty smell can occur when a heater is turned on after it’s been off for a season. This is normal and it stems from the burning of small particles that stick to the heating elements of your heater during periods of disuse. However, if you start to smell smoke or gas, turn your heater off immediately and contact a professional, as this could be indicative of a gas leak or a faulty pilot light.
Using these steps, you can save yourself time and money during this winter season. Sometimes, you really need a professional to handle your heater issues and that’s understandable. However, by taking these simple steps you can avoid calling in maintenance crews for no reason and you can avoid being cold when you don’t have to. Care Temp Heating and Air Conditioning wishes for all their customers to stay warm and safe as it begins to get cold.