When the sun comes out and spring buds start to appear, memories of the long, cold winter start to fade. Before you turn off your furnace for the season, keep it healthy with routine spring furnace maintenance.

Like many winters in the Midwest, this past winter was harsh. With the Polar Vortex that brought extreme cold and nasty weather, many of us hunkered down and turned up the heat. This means your home’s furnace had to work overtime to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures.

When the weather gets rough, your furnace works hard

Over periods of extreme cold, your furnace uses more energy to maintain the indoor temperature at a comfortable 68-70 degrees. This means more air flow through your filter and additional wear and tear on your furnace components.

As you spend more time indoors during periods of particularly cold weather, you’re also generating more dust and moisture, which will clog up your furnace filter. Regular activities like cooking, showering, and simply hanging out at home produce dust. As your furnace works harder, the filter becomes less effective and can even become blocked over time. Ultimately, this leads to furnace failure.

While furnaces are built to withstand winter weather, particularly harsh winters still have a big impact on your furnace. Don’t let problems wait until autumn! Schedule your furnace maintenance right away. After the record-breaking cold temperatures we endured this year, it’s especially important to look at how your furnace components held up.

It’s always good to put your furnace to rest for the summer with a tune up. Spring furnace maintenance ensures any issues are addressed and your furnace is clean, up-to-date, and ready to fire up on the first cold day next fall.

Keep your furnace healthy with spring furnace maintenance

When you schedule spring furnace maintenance, there are a few areas you should have checked over to ensure your furnace is ready for a summer break.

Your technician will walk you through the process, but the filter is generally the first item to address. Looking at the filter is a simple way to check on your furnace health. You should be able to see through your furnace filter if it’s working properly. If the filter appears grey or there’s visible dirt, it’s time to change it out for a fresh filter.

Typically, even high-quality furnace filters should be changed a few times during cold winters. If you own pets, suffer from allergies, smoke, or use a fireplace, you may want to have your furnace filter changed even more frequently. Your Stramowski technician will advise you on the frequency of filter changes for your particular furnace model and the needs of your household.

Additionally, spring furnace maintenance will include an inspection of the internal components. This ensures wiring is working well and all the connections in your furnace are solid. Your technician will advise you of any areas of concern. This is another reason why spring furnace maintenance is a good idea—if there is a problem, you’ll have time to plan for repair or replacement before the weather turns cold.

Spring furnace maintenance should also include checking the area around your furnace to ensure it’s clear and you’re getting adequate ventilation. You can help your furnace perform efficiently by making sure your heat registers are clear (they shouldn’t be covered by furniture or curtains during use).

Check any furnace ventilation to the outdoors as well, as it can get clogged with dirt, leaves, and debris from the spring thaw. While you’re doing spring cleanup in the yard, it’s a good time to uncover your air conditioning unit and inspect it for any winter damage as well.

Don’t wait until fall to check on your furnace

Customers often wait until fall weather rolls in before they think of checking on their furnace. Let’s face it, after the cold weather we had last winter, most of us want to forget about snow and ice. We’re ready to kick back in a lawn chair and enjoy the sunshine!

But waiting on furnace maintenance until September means you’ll face longer lead times. Your furnace may not be ready to fire up on the first cool and crisp fall day (even if you’re not ready to think about autumn weather right now).

Do yourself a favor and beat the autumn rush! Put your furnace to rest for the summer so you can rest easy too. Book your spring furnace maintenance now and be prepared.

Your technician will identify any issues that occurred during the long, cold winter and address them now, so you won’t face any surprises come fall.

Save money and get ready for next winter. Call Stramowski now at 414-762-6457 to schedule your furnace maintenance today.