Maintaining a furnace isn’t fun and games, but it requires a little bit of vigilance to avoid any catastrophic problems. Homeowners like to turn the light on in their basements, check on their furnace in Plymouth, IN and forget about it for another year—but we can tell you from experience, that’s not a good idea. Gas furnaces are intense pieces of machinery that require precision maintenance in order to function properly. Not only that, but an issue with a gas-powered heating system could be terrible, like the leaking of carbon monoxide or increased risk for fire.
That’s where we come in! We’d like to give you a few tips that can increase the lifespan of your heater and keep your home safe from any unwanted gas leaks. With this checklist and the help of a friendly HVAC professional, you can go back to forgetting about your furnace until next year.
Our Handy Gas Furnace Checklist
It’s always a good idea to call a service professional when you notice something funky going on with your furnace. That’s why we’ve provided this checklist, to help you notice if there’s anything funky at all! However, before we get into the specifics, we’d like to recommend you proceed with any furnace inspection cautiously. Turn off the gas first and foremost, to make sure you don’t cause more problems than you solve. The valve is usually located somewhere near the gas meter.
- Inspect the Burner. Look longingly at the flames in your burner. Are you getting bored while just seeing a steady blue flame? Then you’re fine. If you’re noticing plenty of yellow or orange flickering, that could be a signal that something other than your natural gas is burning. If this occurs, call a professional as soon as possible.
- Listen for Strange Noises. Is there anything vibrating, buzzing, clicking, or rattling in your furnace? Trust us, those are not normal sounds. These are reason enough to call a technician today.
- Smell for Gas Leaks. This is an important one. Did you know that natural gas found in nature is odorless? The chemical mercaptan is added to natural gas as a safety measure to give it the rotten odor we associate with gas. If you smell anything rotten or foul coming from your furnace, get to safety and call a professional from your cell-phone or your neighbor’s phone immediately.
- System Failure. If nothing from this list is standing out, but your heater has trouble starting, you’re going to need to contact a professional soon.
- Flood Damage. You might not smell a gas leak, but flood damage is one of the most insidious causes of gas leaks. Water can cause the valves to malfunction, allowing more gas to pour into your furnace, even when you shut the gas off. If any part of your heater has been even partially submerged in water, call a professional HVAC technician today.
Well, there you have it. A comprehensive list of items to check your furnace for. If any of these things can be applied to you and your heating system, don’t thank us, call a professional technician today.
If you need any assistance with your heater, contact us today. For all your urgent furnace needs there’s Colliers—A company you’ve grown to trust.
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