Every fall, there are a few maintenance tasks you need to do around the home to prepare your furnace for winter and to protect your AC while it lies dormant. These tasks include scheduling furnace maintenance, covering the AC condenser, vacuuming the vents, and checking the carbon monoxide detector.
Schedule Furnace Maintenance
Your furnace needs a tune-up every fall to prepare it for winter. A tune-up removes dirt buildup from the internal components and optimizes the system. We inspect the internal components to ensure that they can withstand the winter.
Mountain View Heating is a reputable company that provides furnace maintenance in Bend, OR, and surrounding areas. We offer a generous maintenance plan that can help you save money on your maintenance, repair, and replacement costs.
Cover the AC Condenser
Covering the AC condenser with plywood is important to protect it from the harsh effects of winter. Don’t wrap a plastic tarp around the condenser because this can cause moisture and rust problems.
Icicles, hail, sleet, and snow can damage the condenser and shorten its lifespan. Once you’ve turned off the AC for the year, that means it’s time to cover the condenser. You don’t want leaves and other tree debris getting inside of it.
If you have a heat pump, however, then you shouldn’t cover the condenser because you’ll still be using it for heating your home throughout winter. Plywood or any other object covering it would cause overheating problems.
Vacuum the Vents
You should vacuum the vents once a month to protect your indoor air quality and minimize dust in the home. Vacuuming the vents regularly also reduces the risk of a fire. This is a task you as the homeowner can safely do.
Check Your Carbon Monoxide Detector
Before turning on your furnace for the cold season, it is a good idea to check if your carbon monoxide detector still works. Albeit rare, carbon monoxide leaks are a possibility with heating systems. Look at the owner’s manual to know how to test your carbon monoxide detector. Typically, you need to hold down the “test” button, listen for two beeps, and then release the button before holding it down again to listen for four beeps.
Mountain View Heating is a Lennox Premier Dealer serving Bend and surrounding areas. We know how to repair and tune any brand of furnace. We can also set up ductless mini-splits, zoning systems, and humidifiers. All of our technicians are certified for the work they do, so contact us today to schedule a furnace tune-up in Bend or any of our other service areas.
