With the drop in temperatures, furnaces in Moose Jaw have been firing up over the past week or two.
Jeremy Kerr, part-owner and estimator with C & E Mechanical, had some advice for homeowners.
“Proper operation of your furnace is always a good thing for homeowners, to go downstairs and check on. As a homeowner, there is a checklist. Mostly you should be checking monthly for any water or damages to the cabinet and changing your filters if required. Most manufacturers will typically request that you have an annual maintenance completed by a certified technician just to ensure safe and efficient operation.”
Kerr reminds people not to forget about their thermostats.
“Thermostats are an on/off switch, so it’s a good thing to check. Before the heating season, turn your thermostat into the heating mode and make sure that your furnace does come on, so you’re not surprised when it does get cold out and you also want to check your main disconnect on your furnace for proper operation from time to time as well. They say that that should be done every few months.”
He notes the burning smell that occurs during first use is normal as the dust that was collected over the summer burns off.
There are also some things to watch out for on the outside of the house.
“Newer furnaces have a two-pipe system typically where they could create ice on the outside and it’s important to make sure that the ice doesn’t block the vent on the exterior or that snow doesn’t blow in and block the vent on the exterior because it will shut your furnace down off of safety switches.”
Kerr says one of the most important things to check is your carbon monoxide detector.
“I know that most of them expire within five to ten years and from personal experience I know that they’re included with the smoke detector so they’re not always on your mind that it might have expired within that five years. I do like the plug-in ones that you can put on the wall and you can buy those from most retail outlet stores. You have to replace them every five years. They should be located in a hallway central to sleeping areas.”
He notes carbon monoxide can be caused by any fuel-burning appliances, adding keeping them properly maintained will help protect your household. Kerr notes older equipment, although less efficient, still has safety systems and may be just as reliable as any newer equipment when properly maintained.
C & E Mechanical offers a standard fall service package which includes several checks.
Homeowners can apply for a free home heating tune-up through SaskEnergy’s Tune-up Assistance Program (TAP). The program is open to qualifying Saskatchewan homeowners with a combined annual household income (before taxes) of less than $68,000. TAP provides up to $400 worth of products and services to each qualified homeowner, including a free SaskEnergy Network home heating tune-up, up to $200 in repairs if needed, two free furnace filters, and a free carbon monoxide alarm.
Homeowners can apply to TAP from now until November 15, 2022. Renters are not eligible, and homeowners who participated in the program last year are not eligible for this year’s program.
