It is that time of year again when having a working heating system is crucial for your household. You shouldn’t wait until you begin to feel the first chills of winter before you check your furnace. If you haven’t yet inspected your furnace, now might be a good time to do so.

Getting your furnace ready

It’s always advised to hire a certified HVAC technician to do the relevant checks on your furnace. But if you are a hands-on, do-it-yourself type of person, here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Do a visual check. Look on and around your furnace to ensure that there are no objects placed against or near it. Items that are combustible should be kept far away from your furnace. Be sure to check that your air ducts and return vents are clutter-free so that air can flow freely without any hindrance. During the non-operational months, rodents and insects may find your furnace as a cozy home. So, remove the front panel and check for any unwanted occupants and that all wires are intact. After this, turn your furnace on for 30 minutes and see if there is any water dripping around the furnace or any odours coming from the vents.
  • Change the furnace filter. It is recommended that this be done every 2-3 months for 1” wide filters and every 6 months for 5” wide filters. Very dirty filters restrict airflow and cause your furnace to use more energy and potentially overheat and break down.
  • Inspect your chimney/venting and carbon monoxide detectors. If you have an older furnace with a chimney, check to see if there are nests or carbon buildup. If you have a high-efficiency furnace that has black or white plastic pipes for venting, check outside to make sure nothing is blocking the pipes. Also, ensure that you test all your carbon monoxide detectors and replace the batteries as needed.
  • Turn on your thermostat. Switch your thermostat from cooling to heating. If you don’t feel a difference in temperature and basic checks show everything to be in order, contact a certified technician to identify and address the problem.

Buy a furnace online

If you discover your furnace is broken and needs to be replaced, Canada HVAC, your online store for furnaces, air conditioners and other HVAC products, has you covered.

Canada HVAC is a new concept in the heating and cooling industry. We sell air conditioners and furnaces online—directly to consumers. We’re a licensed, bonded and insured company with over 30 years of industry experience among our partners. When you buy a furnace online from Canada HVAC, we can even put you in touch with a local HVAC specialist who can help with installation and maintenance. We only partner with trusted local installers, so you can have peace of mind that your new HVAC system will be expertly installed.

Visit our online store to view our products or contact us today if you have questions about our furnaces or other HVAC systems.