Next Steps: What to do if your furnace stops working

Feb 4

joedearmanHeating & Cooling , , No Comments

Consider the following circumstance.

You wake up unusually early one winter morning to discover that your furnace stopped working during the night. What would you do next?

Many of you would call a repair man to come over and get your furnace working again. He arrives at your home an agonizing thirty minutes later. He spends five minutes examining your thermostat and furnace then walks over to the main electrical panel and resets one of the breakers and the furnace begins working again. At this time he charges you $95.00!

What if you did the following before you made that phone call?

  1. Check the thermostat to see if it is in “HEAT” mode and set at the proper temperature.
  2. Check the service switch located on the side or above the furnace to see if it is in the “ON” position.
  3. Check the gas valve located in the pipe leading to the furnace to see if it is in the “ON” position.
  4. Check the gas valve located inside the furnace to see if it is in the “ON” position.
  5. Check the access panel located at the blower compartment of the furnace to see if it is secure and engaging the safety switch located behind the panel.
  6. Check the fuse/breaker labled “FURNACE” located in the main electrical panel to see if it is in the “ON” position.

We take so many modern convieniences for granted that we can feel completely helpless when something stops working. If we take a few minutes to think about how a thing works we can usually minimize the level of discomfort we experience and save a considerable amount of money.

How important is it to clean out the gutters on my house?

Feb 4

joedearmanExterior, Roofing , , , No Comments

I have been asked the following question more times than I can remember. How important is it to clean out the gutters on my house?

Gutters and downspouts are the first line of defense in preventing water running off of the roof from entering into basement and crawlspace areas of our homes where it can create an ideal environment for bugs, promote mold growth, and cause damage.

When clean, and properly installed, gutters collect water from the roof and direct it away from foundation walls via downspouts. Properly installed gutters slope towards downspouts and downspouts should extend six to eight feet away from foundation walls or discharge the water to a surface that slopes away from the home. All seams should be thoroughly sealed to prevent leaks.

I recommend inspecting and cleaning gutters and downspouts in late spring after the trees have begun to leaf out and again in late fall after the leaves have fallen as part of an annual maintenance plan.