Summer Is Coming: 3 Steps To Safely Put Your Heater To Bed Till Winter

When the weather starts to turn warm, your mind automatically turns to your air conditioner. Not so fast, though. Before you switch your air conditioner on this summer, you should make sure that you bid a proper farewell to your heater. You may think that simply turning it off for the summer is good enough. Unfortunately, that could leave you with a rude awakening next winter. Here are four steps you should take to put your heater to bed for the summer.

Clean the Motor and Fan

While your heater was busy keeping warm during the winter, it was collecting dirt and dust. Those contaminants built up on the motor and fan. Unfortunately, if those contaminants remain on your heating unit during the summer, they can cause serious damage to your heating components. To get your motor and fan ready for summer, you'll need to grab a shop vacuum. Begin by removing all the dirt and dust from around the motor housing. Once you have that area clean, move on to the fan. Be sure to clean each blade.

Check for Safety Issues

Once you've cleaned the motor and fan, you'll want to inspect your heater for safety issues. Some of the safety issues you should look for include the following areas.

• Leaks in the gas lines.
• Holes in the furnace fire box
• Scorch marks around the thermocouple or ignitor switch.

If you notice any of the problems mentioned above, you should notify your heater technician as soon as possible. You'll need to have those issues repaired before you turn your heater on next winter.

Change the Filter

You might think that the filter won't affect your heater since it won't be operational during the summer. Unfortunately, that's not correct. Using your air conditioner with a dirty filter will still deposit dirt on your heater, since the ducts in your home filter through both systems. Before you shut your heater down for the summer, be sure you replace the filter. This will ensure that both your heater and your air conditioner are protected during the summer. A good rule of thumb is to change the filter at the start of each new season. This will ensure that you switch your filter at least four times each year.

Now that it's time to put your heater to bed for the summer, you want to make sure you do it properly. For more information, contact D & W Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. or a similar company.