Pretty soon it will be time to turn the heating off and the AC on. This means that there is a lot of maintenance to do to prepare for the summer months. You may do chores to prepare your AC, but there are also some things that you may want to do to prepare your heating for next year, such as clean the furnace and make sure the filter is changed. Here are some of the things that you will want to do before your turn your furnace off this year:

1. Clean Out The Dust In The Blower When You Change The Filter

Over the winter months, your heating can collect a lot of dust and debris. The dirt can get in ducts, introducing allergens in your home, as well as causing problems with your HVAC system. Before you turn your heating off for the winter months, you may want to clean out the furnace and the blower to ensure that dust does not continue to buildup in your HVAC system. To clean the dust out, you can use a shop vacuum to get to all the places you can't reach and a brush attachment to loosen dirt. This can help extend the life of your furnace and ensure that your home is free of dust and allergens.

2. Check The Pilot Light And Turn Off The Gas Or Shut Off The Power Switch

When you turn your heating off, the pilot light may still be on with a gas furnace, which can contribute to wasted energy and higher utility bills. When you are not using your furnace, turn the pilot light off to ensure energy is not wasted. With electric systems, there is a switch or main power supply that can be turned off, which can help save you energy too, because even when the system is not running electricity is used for the controls, LED lights and other small components.

3. Inspect For Loose Wiring And Electrical Wires That Need Repairs Or Improvements

Now that you are not using your heating, it is a good time to inspect for problems, such as loose connections or damaged wiring. Some of these problems you can fix yourself by fixing connections or taping up any frayed wires. This is also a good time for simple improvements, such as adding protectors to wiring. You can look for burn marks on the wiring in the furnace and add a heat shield to wires that have damaged insulation. You can get the heat shields from any auto parts store and cover wires that are close to any heat source.

These are some of the things that you will want to do before you stop using your furnace this year. If you need help with maintenance and repairs to your HVAC to prepare for spring, contact a plumbing and heating contractor to help with servicing your systems.  

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