Run your furnace once before the first cold night, not on it. A 10-minute walkthrough in early fall lets you find a dead thermostat, a clogged filter, or a blocked vent while you still have time to fix it. Here’s the walkthrough our technicians recommend to homeowners across the Hudson Valley.
1. Swap the filter
Pull the filter and hold it up to a light. If you can’t see light through it, replace it. Write the date on the edge of the new filter with a marker so you know when it went in. A clean filter is the single easiest way to keep a furnace from overheating and shutting down.
2. Test the thermostat
Switch the thermostat to “Heat” and set it 3 to 5 degrees above the room temperature. The furnace should start within a few minutes. Replace the batteries now if your thermostat uses them. If nothing happens, check that the furnace’s service switch, usually near the unit, is turned on.
3. Expect a short burning smell
The first run of the season often gives off a dusty, burning smell for 15 to 30 minutes. That’s dust burning off the heat exchanger and is normal. A smell that lingers, or any smell of gas, is not normal. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility or 911 from outside.
4. Walk the house and check airflow
Go room to room and put your hand over each supply vent. You should feel steady, warm air. Open any vents that were closed over the summer, and move furniture, rugs, or curtains that block them. A room with weak or no airflow can point to a duct problem worth having us look at.
5. Clear the area around the furnace
Keep at least 3 feet of clear space around the furnace. Basements and utility closets collect storage over the summer. Boxes, paint cans, and cleaning supplies don’t belong next to a heating appliance.
6. Check the outside vents
High-efficiency furnaces vent through two plastic pipes on an outside wall. Make sure leaves, nests, and landscaping are clear of both. In winter, check them again after heavy snow, since a buried vent can shut the furnace off.
7. Test your carbon monoxide alarms
Press the test button on every CO alarm in the house, and replace batteries or units past their expiration date. Every home with a gas or oil furnace should have a working CO alarm on each level and near sleeping areas.
8. Check your fuel
Oil customers, check the tank gauge and schedule a delivery before the season starts. Running a tank empty can pull sludge into the fuel line and lead to a service call.
What to leave to a technician
The walkthrough covers what you can see and test safely. It doesn’t replace a tune-up. During a furnace tune-up, our technicians check the burners, flame sensor, ignitor, heat exchanger, gas pressure, blower motor, and safety controls. Those parts wear out quietly and are the usual cause of no-heat calls in December and January.
Call us if you notice any of these during your walkthrough:
- The furnace starts, then shuts off after a minute or two
- Banging, squealing, or grinding sounds
- A yellow or flickering burner flame instead of a steady blue one
- Water pooling around the base of the unit
- A burning smell that doesn’t go away after the first run
Schedule your furnace tune-up
Jones Services has kept Hudson Valley homes warm since 1986, from Goshen and Middletown to Poughkeepsie and New Paltz. Our licensed technicians are open 7 days a week. Call now to book a furnace tune-up before the cold arrives.