As the temperature is warm up, you’re probably thinking more about your air conditioner and less about your furnace. But, your furnace still needs attention as the heating season winds down.
If you have a gas powered furnace, you want to make sure that it gets shut down the correct way in spring so that it’s in best condition when you turn it on again in the fall.
If you’ve never shut your furnace down for the spring season, it’s not too late to start. And if in doing so you notice anything about your furnace that concerns you, you may want to invest in furnace repair in Portland, OR, before heading into spring. You can keep reading to learn more about how to turn off your gas powered furnace for the spring.
Is It Necessary to Turn Off My Furnace?
Many homeowners wonder if it is absolutely necessary to turn the furnace off as they transition into spring. If you don’t turn it off, you’re not risking any particular danger as hurting your furnace. However, not turning your furnace off properly can impact its overall functionality and lifespan in the years to come.
If you leave your furnace on going into spring and summer, it will continue to use low levels of energy. This may not seem like a big deal, but it can add up over time. You’ll see higher expenses on your energy bills, and experts estimate that you may spend $50 more for energy use during this period. It may only be $10 or so more per month, but over the life of your furnace it adds up to be more than $1,000. Plus, it will also shorten your furnace’s lifespan if the pilot light is staying on.
Steps for Turning Off Your Furnace
If you have a gas-powered furnace, you want to locate the gas valve that leads to it. Turn that individual valve off to prevent gas from continuing to feed into your furnace. This should turn off the blue pilot light inside of your furnace. Once the step is complete, or you want to look at your electrical plant panel and turn off the breaker for your furnace. This prevents it from using any electrical power during the spring and summer.
It’s really that simple. Of course, if you notice anything concerning as you complete these steps, you should always give us a call. It’s better to address any potential problems now then to wait until you need to turn your furnace on again in the fall or winter. Even with your furnace turned off completely, problems can still fester and get worse as time goes on.
Furnace Maintenance
Turning off your furnace is also a great way to ensure that you remember to schedule annual furnace maintenance. You can either schedule the maintenance ahead of shutting down your furnace for the season, or you can wait and schedule the maintenance at the time that you’re ready to turn your furnace back on for the heating season again.
Please call Sydni, our Office Extraordinaire, to schedule your next appointment! We will take care of you from there!