Yes, but can you explain why your furnace never goes out in the middle of June? The thing always picks the middle of January for some strange reason. David Ferrin www.jaws-users.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Boyce" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, March 29, 2008 5:31 PM Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Furnace Fall - out - Three Things to Check before Calling an Expert
> > Before you start losing it and screaming at your furnace in the dead cold > or > the heat of the summer time, stop and take a deep breath. Your furnace > might > not be working because of a few simple issues that can be fixed quickly. > Sometimes the simplest thing is right before your eyes, and when you're > agitated you can miss them. Take a few moments and read about 3 common > things that can go wrong, and more importantly what you can do to keep > your > furnace working. > > Here are 3 tips to use before you call your service repairman: > > Check your Setting. People have actually called a service technician and > they've found out that the only problem was that their temperature setting > on their thermostat control was not turned to the proper setting for > heating > or cooling their home. That's not only embarrassing, but a very expensive > call for something so simple. Be sure and check. > > > > Check Breakers and Service Switch. If your service switch isn't on, or any > of the other switches aren't on, the furnace won't run. The service switch > is located near or on the furnace. Look at the main breaker box in your > house too. If it's been tripped it won't come on either. Sometimes all > that's need is to replace the service switch if it's gone bad. > > Outside Disconnect Switch. Go outside and look around the unit. You'll > find > a switch that you can flip to turn the outside fan on. Again check your > main > breaker box inside the house to see if that control has been changed to > the > off position. Replace outside service switch if needed, as a service > technician can easily replace it. > > fireplaceIf all of these things are in working order then it'll be time to > call your local service company for a complete inspection of your furnace > unit. Don't attempt to try to diagnose any serious issues. Not only could > you hurt yourself or others, you could void the warranty on your furnace. > You'll be completely responsible for the cost at that point. Be wise and > call. > > > > Before a major problem develops there are ways to lengthen the life of > your > furnace. > > Filters. Regularly change your filters on your furnace. It's recommended > by > professional HVAC heating, venting and air conditioning service > technicians > to change them on monthly bases. If you're furnace type can be fitted for > a > washable filter, then you'll save some money by using them. You can save > some money too by buying your standard filters in bulk. Most hardware > supply > stores or home improvement stores will either have them in stock as bulk, > or > they can special order them for you too. When thinking about changing your > filters don't forget to include any time that there is a high volume of > foot > traffic. Holidays and times when doors will be fanned open such as in the > summer time, might require you change the filter more. Pet dander will > cause > more clog for your furnace too. > > Vacuum and Wipe Down. Another way to lengthen the life of your furnace is > to > clean it. Grab a shop vacuum that's works well and clean the furnace. Make > sure you vacuum is in good working order, the last thing you'll need is it > to be leaking more debris back into the furnace. > > Replace Insulation. If your furnace has insulation around or inside the > door > be sure to examine it for brittleness or huge pieces of it missing. It can > further clog up your furnace by being pulled into it when the fan kicks > on. > It won't take long for it to burn up a motor. > > Inspect Wiring. Go outside and look at the wiring that connects your > outside > cooling and heating fan to see if there are frayed wires or loosening > wires > from it to the house. Clean away debris from around the fan and if > possible > wash off the unit with a mild detergent. Pull out any leaves or garbage > out > of the grill of the fan, so it can run with maximum efficiency. > > Clean Vents Inside and Out. Go and take the time to clean out your floor > vents. Also look outside and check your duct work to make sure that it > hasn't fallen or become tangled. Naturally you run the unit harder because > you're not staying cool or warm in the winter, if there is anything > clogging > or obstructing the air flow. This will shorten the life of your furnace. > > Furnace Inspection. Make sure to schedule a yearly inspection on your > furnace. > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > ------------------------------------ > > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29 > Or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following address: > http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/ > > Visit the archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following > address for more information: > http://www.jaws-users.com/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] Groups Links > > >
