It is not uncommon for a heating furnace to not be used for several months. Most people do not use them during the summer, after all, so be sure to call the heating and furnace repair company in Henderson, NV, at Ambient Edge. Yet, there are a few things you should know about proper maintenance and getting your system back up and running if your heating furnace has not been used for 3 or 4 months.
What Do You Need to Do if Your System Has Not Been On
If you just came back from a vacation, and you’re experiencing problems with your furnace, you may ask yourself, why is your furnace not working? Should you even turn off your furnace if you will not be there for a while? If you’re thinking about going away for a season, and you know you won’t use your furnace for a few months, you may be wondering if this could cause anything bad to happen with your furnace.
The truth of the matter is that leaving your furnace running, even if you’re not actively using it, can still cost you money. It’s the same concept as phantom electricity. While you might pay a minimal amount to leave the furnace in an operative state, you could save yourself additional money and wear and tear on the furnace by simply turning it off – the key is to know what to expect once you arrive back home.
Ambient Edge can help. Call us for more information and/or to schedule a service call.
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Turning on a Heater After a Long Time
If you are planning on turning on a heater after a long time off, and that may mean more than just a few months, it is important to know what to expect and how to ensure the system is operating safely. Do not just turn the switch on, but instead make sure that there is power going to the system, that the filters are clean and ready to go, and that all debris around the system is cleaned away. You also want to make sure all electrical connections are in good condition.
It is often best to have our repair technicians out to your home before you attempt to turn on a furnace that has been off for a long time, especially one that has not been used in the last year or two. That helps us ensure that there are no animal infestations, wiring damages that could lead to fire risks, or any complications to the functionality of the system. Some signs that it is best to have a licensed team out for this include:
- A system that does not turn on at all
- A furnace that is older than 10 years and has not been used or maintained in the last year
- A system that is operational, it seems, but has a lot of carbon buildup
- A system that has had any type of water damage to it
- A furnace that has structural damage to it.
Types of Oil-Fired Furnaces
Some homes have gas furnaces, but the majority of homes in the United States have oil-fired furnaces. There are actually two different kinds of oil-fired furnaces: water-based furnaces and forced-air furnaces. Water-based furnaces use water or steam to heat your home by way of radiators, baseboards, or radiant floors, and another name for water-based systems is “hydronic systems.”
Forced-air furnaces disperse heated air throughout your home via vents in the floors and walls. Another name for a forced-air furnace is a “warm air system.” These are the more commonly used of the two, but both water-based and forced-air systems rely on oil from your oil tank for fuel and use your thermostat to determine how hot your home should be.
Both types need to be properly maintained throughout the year. If you plan to turn them off for any length of time, you need to know what to expect. Ambient Edge can help you with those steps.
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How to Turn Off Your Furnace
An electric furnace is easy to turn off – simply flip the emergency switch to the “OFF” position. That will eliminate any energy going to the system. This will save on energy bills throughout the year.
If you’re not sure how to turn off your gas furnace, however, you just need to turn off the main gas supply. But, if you don’t use a hot water heater for your hot water, then you’ll want to double-check that you’re turning off the gas supply to the furnace, not the house. Otherwise, you’ll turn off the gas supply that also heats your water.
While your furnace is off, this is a prime time to schedule a preventative maintenance appointment with us. That way, you ensure everything is in working order and that all the kinks are worked out when it comes time to depend on your furnace again during the winter. Make sure to give Ambient Edge a call to find out how we can help.
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Turning Your Furnace Off in the Summer
You may want to turn your furnace off in the summer, especially if you use a hot water heater for your hot water. This is normal and standard practice. You may be wondering why I should leave the furnace on if I don’t need the heat to come on anyway.
This is correct. You should turn your furnace off during the summer if you use it for no other purpose than generating heat. This is because it will continue to use energy even while you’re not actively using it. Not only does this increase your monthly utility bills, but it also wears your equipment down when it’s constantly in use.
Turning off the system is wise in most situations. When it is time to turn it back on, have our team out for a quick inspection. That helps ensure it is ready to go.
Pilot Light
To turn off a furnace, then you will need to turn off the pilot light, which is that blue flame that lights up inside your furnace to produce heat. You will then, of course, need to re-light the pilot light when it’s time to turn the furnace back on. While this sounds simple enough, the pilot light may not be the easiest thing to access.
Therefore, if you do have to deal with a pilot light, your best bet is to turn your furnace off when you know you’ll have a long stretch of warm weather where you won’t need to turn on your heat, like at the end of June. Then, you can turn it back on at the beginning of September, when things are just starting to get cold, but where you won’t freeze if you have to wait for the pilot light to come back on. If you are unsure, let us help you.
You can count on our team to provide a full inspection once you are ready to turn your system back on. We encourage you not to wait to give us a call. Ambient Edge has the team to guide you throughout this process.
Pros and Cons of Turning Off Your Furnace
There are benefits and drawbacks to turning off your furnace. Every property is different, but our team can help you decide what is best suited for your needs. As for the benefits, these include:
- Saving money on energy you’re using that you don’t actually need
- Saving energy, which is good for your equipment and the environment
- Avoiding heating your home when you don’t want to, like if someone adjusts the thermostat, and you start heating your home in the summer
The only real con to turning off your furnace is that it can be a real pain to turn that pilot light back on. If the pilot light is not something you can easily get to, then you may need to call a professional for help. Ambient Edge is happy to offer the help you need.
Need Help with Your Furnace? Call Ambient Edge!
If you turned your furnace off for the summer only to turn it on and experience a problem, Ambient Edge can help. Our HVAC technicians have decades of experience dealing with nearly every kind of furnace problem out there. Our team is NATE-certified, and we offer all our customers a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all our parts, service, and labor for our heating maintenance services, so if you’re experiencing an issue with your furnace or heating, don’t wait – give us a call today.
