Prepare Your Furnace For Its Summer Vacation

About Me
Minimizing the Need for Plumbing Repairs

Hiring a plumber to make repairs tends to be a common occurrence for most homeowners as the years pass. While it’s virtually impossible to completely avoid the need for a professional plumber’s services, there are some things you can do to minimize wear and tear on your plumbing system so it doesn’t succumb to the need for repairs often. Using low-flow aerators on your sink faucets and shower heads as well as insulating your exposed pipes before winter can make a big difference in your plumbing’s performance. On this website you’ll find many tips and tricks that can be used to keep your plumbing in good shape, and even to save yourself some money on water costs throughout the year.

Prepare Your Furnace For Its Summer Vacation

17 March 2018
 Categories: , Blog

Finally – winter is coming to an end and spring is approaching. This means that it will soon be time to shut down your furnace for the next several months. Is there anything that you need to do to ensure that your furnace is protected while it's not being used? Here you'll learn how to prepare your furnace for its summer vacation.

Supply List

  • Shop-Vac – crevice and brush attachments
  • Screwdriver
  • WD-40
  • New Furnace Filter

Shut Off the Gas

If your furnace is fueled by gas, you can start by shutting the gas to the unit off. Leaving the gas on forces you to leave the pilot light burning all summer. That small flame may not seem to suck up much fuel, but it is completely unnecessary to waste even that small amount of fuel this year.

Older furnaces are more of a risk if you leave the gas turned on. This will help to protect your home and family if the pilot light goes out over the summer. Since older units don't have the automatic shut-off for when the pilot light goes out, the gas will continue to leak into your home and put your family and your home in serious danger.

Change the Filter

The furnace filter catches a lot of dirt and debris over the winter. You don't want to store all of that dirt all summer long, so remove the old filter and use the shop-vac to suck all of the dirt and debris out of the space. Once the filter space is cleaned, insert the replacement filter.

Tend to the Blower Fan

The blower fan works hard all winter long, so you will need to give it a little attention to help it recover. Remove the outer panel of the furnace (you may need a screwdriver to remove a few screws to get the panel off). You should see the blower fan.

Use the shop-vac to suck all of the loose dirt and debris off of the fan and out of the area in which the fan is positioned.

Once the fan is clean, spray the moving components of the fan with WD-40. This will prevent rusting and eliminate the concern of seizing after it's not been used all summer.

If you don't feel confident in your ability to get your furnace ready for its summer vacation, talk with Washam Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning or your local HVAC technician for assistance in getting the job done right.