Furnace maintenance is one of those tasks that can all too easily fall “under the radar”… until disaster strikes, at which point it becomes your sole passion and focus.
Ideally, you should service your Castro Valley heating and A/C equipment regularly to prevent costly and uncomfortable disasters. However, even if you just understand and practice the following basic prophylactics, you will be miles ahead of most area homeowners.
If your heating system malfunctions, check these three systems:
- The thermostat
- The distribution system
- The cooling or heating source
If your A/C or furnace is not operating at all, perhaps your furnace has lost power or has become unable to access fuel to burn. If you use fuel other than oil or gas to heat your home, the issue may be with your ignition.
If the furnace IS working but warmer air isn’t reaching certain rooms, your distribution system could be flawed.
Lastly, sporadic heating/cooling or sudden disruptions in temperature control could indicate a broken or malfunctioning thermostat.
The Dangers of Dirt
Dirt can clog/disrupt all three systems that we just described. Dirt can reduce the efficiency of your furnace and cause corrosion of sensitive components. Solving the issue may be more complicated than simply “cleaning things up.” You may need to replace corroded or distorted parts and/or adjust the belt and lubrication of your furnace.
Different “red flags” may indicate different types of furnace trouble.
For instance, if your fuse blows repeatedly when you try to use the A/C or furnace, the problem likely resides in the electrical system itself. If this is the case, and you try to do DIY maintenance, you could easily accidentally start a fire or otherwise get injured. So do not attempt to repair your own furnace if this is happening!
Likewise, if you smell gas or some other odd odor, the situation could be very dangerous. You may need to leave your house/building immediately and get professional help to deal with the leak or other problem.
When in doubt, get professional assistance. Your home is likely your largest and most valuable possession. Even seemingly “minor” issues with your furnace or A/C or electrical system may turn out to be anything but minor, so you need to get the diagnostics right.
Let the Castro Valley heating and A/C experts here at B.A. Morrison help you understand what your issue is and give you the tools, strategies, and maintenance to reduce your costs and give you long term peace of mind.