Glorious spring is right around the corner! With warmer days ahead, homeowners get the long awaited satisfaction of turning off the furnace from running during the cold winter months. Although we all love our furnace and the warmth it provided during the frigid months of winter, it’s a great feeling to finally shut off our heating systems and turn on the AC until next season rolls around.
So, what are the steps you need to know that involve turning off your heating system? For some homeowners, this is a routine ritual in which they have plenty of experience with over the years, but for newbies, there are several important procedures to follow to shut off your furnace’s operation.
Furnace Shut Off
- The first thing you want to do is to turn off the pilot, particularly if you have an older system. By doing so, you’ll be shutting off the gas supply to the furnace. The pilot consumes gas 24/7 if left on, therefore, turning off the pilot light will help you conserve quite a bit of energy.
- You’ll want to clean up any clutter that may have collected during the winter around your furnace. Since most furnaces are in the basement, this area can become a spot for storing boxes, luggage, or Christmas decorations, so clear it out for easier access to change filters.
- Speaking of changing your filter, now is the perfect time to install a new, clean filter after the heating season. Your furnace and AC share the same air exchange, so if you want everything to run at tip-top performance prior to starting up your air-conditioning system, exchange the dirty filter for a fresh one.
- There are two ways you can handle your air-ducts. You can have a professional company come in and clean the air ducts in your home from top to bottom or you can inspect your air registers yourself and suck out the dust with a vacuum hose.
- During the winter season, dirt may have accumulated around your home’s return and supply registers so this is a good time to give them a good cleaning. This will prevent dirt from ending up on your air handler and/or cycling throughout your home.
- Now that the heating season is over, determine how well your system performed this past year. Did your heating system operate as expected by keeping your home comfortable all season? Did you notice any problems or your heating costs were higher? If so, bring them up with your technician during your next scheduled turn-up.
AC Turn ON
- The first thing you want to do is go outside, remove the cover and inspect your air conditioning unit. Remove any objects or overgrown vegetation within 18 inches of the unit and give the coils a spray down to remove any soot or dirt.
- Back inside the house, make sure that you have changed the air filter in your furnace because your furnace and AC share the same air exchange. A dirty filter is where most problems begin so you should change it once a month during the summer season.
- Make sure that the breaker and/or disconnected switch to the condenser is turned to the “on” position. Also, close your lower level vents so that the cooler air is concentrated in the middle and upper floors where needed most.
- Once you have inspected the unit, cleaned it down, changed the filter, set your thermostat to cool, turn the fan to auto, flip the switch and turn on your AC.
- Now that you have set the thermostat settings correctly, go back outside to make certain that your condenser has turned on and the blades are spinning. Once this has occurred and all looks well, go back in the house and feel an air register for cool air coming through.
Follow The Steps
Shutting down your furnace from its winter operation and turning on your AC system to enjoy the cool air during the summer months is simple if you follow these rules. In need of professional assistance? Hamilton Home Comfort provides inspections and annual system maintenance so that you can enjoy both seasons worry free.
