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2013 Fall Home Improvement September 25, 2013
Special edition of LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.com
in your ducts, or (2) your ducts have been
infested with vermin such as rats or mice,
or (3) there is a substantial buildup of dust
or dirt in your ducts. Marion from Lincoln
Heating & Cooling is a ductwork expert
and can provide expert advice regarding
cleaning or replacing bad ductwork.
The third thing you should do, after you
have vacuumed the registers and reassem-
bled them, is to test your heating system.
Set your thermostat to heat and turn up the
dial. Your furnace should kick on when the
temp on the dial exceeds the temp in your
house. Listen for your furnace to kick on
and begin to heat up. Then listen for the
fan to start. It should begin to blow after
your furnace has heated up sufficiently.
The air that comes out should be warm to
hot.
If you cannot make your furnace kick on
or if the blower fails to start, it is a good
time to call your HVAC service person
to have your furnace checked before you
really need it. Scott Mack from Logan
County Hardware is skillful in diagnosing
furnace problems and usually can save you
money when your system needs repairs or
replacement.
Having a furnace inspection every three to
five years can save you money and might
even save your life. The inspector will
check to make sure your heat exchanger
isn’t cracked, that gas isn’t leaking and that
your ventilation stack isn’t clogged. Any
one of those could kill you by trapping
dangerous gases in your house. Having
a carbon monoxide detector in the closet
with your furnace and within 15 feet of
your bedrooms can tell you if there might
be a problem. If you smell gas in your
home or around your furnace, call Ameren
Cilco immediately.
If you have a heat pump, it is a good time
to clean the coils on your heat pump unit.
You can do a somewhat effective job with
the garden hose. With the unit off, spray
water through the grates on the sides to re-
move as much dirt and debris as possible,
allowing the water to run out the bottom.
The heat pump runs much more efficiently
with clean coils, and cleaning the coils can
lengthen the life of your heat pump unit.
Your HVAC service expert can do a more
effective cleaning of your coils by taking
apart the cover of your unit and can check
the coolant level at the same time. Several
services in Logan County, including D&D,
advertise this service for $99.
Now is the perfect time to get an early start
on your furnace check. It could prevent
health hazards and help take the BRRRR
out of winter.
