An End-of-Winter Checklist for Heating Service in Bridgeport, CT

We have one month left of winter, but it is still a good time to prepare for heating service in Bridgeport, CT before you switch to air conditioning. Taking care of your furnace now before you shut it down will assure it works well next winter, too. Here is a checklist of tasks to complete before the summer months begin:

• Inspect for damage: Finding cracks and blemishes now can prevent problems later. Combustion chamber cracks are the most serious, as they can poison homes and businesses with carbon monoxide. If you have an older furnace with no shutoff valve, this is a substantial risk. Never let this problem go for another year, as you will put your household or workers at risk. Sometimes your best option is to replace your furnace rather than suffer a dangerous appliance for one more winter. It is better to discover this now than suffer a carbon monoxide leak.
• Clean the furnace area: Homeowners often have a habit of allowing clutter to accumulate around their furnace after they shut it down. This can be a fire hazard when you start it up next year. Clean these areas and discourage family members or workers from stacking items on the furnace. You never know when a cool rainy day in June might make heating your premises a requirement again, so stay safe rather than become sorry.
• Change filters: You need to be on a routine with changing furnace filters, and the end of winter is a good time to start that. Filters affect air quality and efficiency, so changing them out at the end of winter assures fresh air next season. Clean filters sometimes solve alarming noises and smells, too. When you forgo changing filters, your best-case scenario is inflated utility bills. At worst, your furnace may leak carbon monoxide. This is one of the easier tasks that offers many benefits.
• Fix problems: Addressing furnace issues now will help you have an uneventful winter later this year. Odd noises, smells or rooms that never get quite warm enough are problems you may forget about until you experience them again next season. Address them now and you will have a fresh start when winter starts again. If budget concerns require that you address these later, at least make note of any problems so you can have them repaired in a timely manner.
• Consider upgrading: Spring is a good time to upgrade HVAC systems because it is not too hot or cold. That makes now a good time to critically assess whether your furnace still works well for you. If utility bills are consistently high and a technician finds extensive cracking through your furnace, a new Energy Star system will work better and save you money. You can also consider add-ons, like dehumidifiers or new programmable thermostats. There is often room for some improvement, even if it is just catching up on maintenance.

For end-of-season heating service in Bridgeport, CT, call BLM Refrigeration Heating & Air Conditioning. We work on both residential and commercial systems and can help you prepare for spring and summer.

Categorised in: Heating Service

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