Furnaces in the winter
Before the weather turns cold, make sure you don’t need **furnace repair and replacement**. Nobody wants that on a winter day. To make sure everything works the way it should, replace your filter and check it every month thereafter. Clear away anything blocking your vents or return air vents. Make sure the vent area of your furnace is clear. Vacuuming and cleaning around the furnace area is a good idea. Check furnace belts and motor operation. If they are worn or cracked, then you need furnace repair.
As a side note, if the dry air is too much for you, consider getting a humidifier installed directly in your furnace. It takes the dryness out of the air so you feel more comfortable, your lips don’t feel quite as chapped and your skin doesn’t feel so dry.
If you do need furnace replacement then one of the next two things happened to you – first one, obviously, is that the one you have does not function anymore: maybe it has broken down and there’s nothing else you can do or it has been „red-tagged” or condemned by gas inspectors (if you have a gas furnace). The second one is that is getting old, or your fuel bills are becoming too excessive to tolerate. In this case, you have more time to shop around and get the best furnace and fuel that fits your needs. Just call some professionals to check it, before you realize you need furnace repair in the middle of the winter.

gundijones
in Furnace Repair 12 years and 5 months ago
1
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BobMarvin | 12 years and 5 months ago
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LOL–if the belt is worn or cracked you need a new belt. That’s a simple DIY job, not much of a furnace repair. When I bought my house in 1974 the belt was cracking. I removed it, took it to a hardware store to make sure I bought an exact replacement and spent less than 5 minutes putting it in. Forced air furnaces are pretty easy to maintain. In my case changing the filter, oiling the motor, asnd checking the grease cups (and re-filling the every few years) is all it takes. My furnace was installed (according to the previous owner) c/ 1965\. Some day (perhaps not in my lifetime) the heat exchange (if that’s the correct term) will rust out–then I, or (hopefully) the next owner, will have it replaced.