Getting Your Furnace Ready For The Winter:

As winter is arriving, the most important thing you need to do for yourself and your family is to ensure that your furnace is prepared, safe, and as energy-efficient as you can make it. When that first cold day hits, you don’t want to turn on the furnace only to discover that it isn’t working. (Many things can happen during the warmer months to affect your furnace.)

The best bet is to call an HVAC professional and have them come out and inspect your furnace to ensure it is ready for the next season.  During a regular maintenance inspection, the repairman also will clean the furnace, change the filter, check for leaks and unhealthy gasses, and ensure that everything is operational. You should also have them clean the furnace ducts.

• Change the furnace filters regularly. We at Guaranteed Parts  suggest every three months. Take a look at the filter after 30 days of operation. You’ll be able to tell if it needs to be changed. If your filter still looks pretty good, you can put off changing it.
• Stock up on filters during the warmer months. You often can find a bargain on furnace filters and other winter items during those hot summer months.
• Remove any items you have stored near the furnace, particularly anything that is likely to catch fire. Also, remove any household items that are suddenly sitting on top of or in front of your air ducts and return vents.
• If you have a gas furnace, contact your gas company and have them fill it up. Gas is much cheaper to buy during the summer than in the middle of a January cold spell.
• If you have hot-water radiator(s), bleed the valves. Open the valves slightly and close them again when water starts to appear.

Igniter – Bad news: Furnace igniters fail often. Good news: Igniters are fairly inexpensive and easy to replace.

Flame Sensor – Over time, corrosion can build up on flame sensors which can prevent them from properly sensing the flame. If simple cleaning doesn’t improve operation, you should replace the sensor and replace.

Blower Run Capacitor – A run capacitor sends power to the furnace’s blower motor and it’s a component that is more likely to fail than the motor itself. If the blower motor fails to work, always check the capacitor first. As with many electrical parts, you can use a multi-meter to test the capacitor for continuity.

For any parts that you may need for your furnace you can get them at Guaranteedparts.com