Fall weather is finally here.  If you haven’t already, now is the time to do a little maintenance on your gas furnace.  Taking care of the small things now can make all the difference later.  

• Visually inspect:  Check for soot around your furnace.  If you see soot, contact a professional immediately.  Turn the furnace on at the stat and check the flames in the burners.  You should see a steady blue flame.  If the flame is yellow or orange and flickering, contact a professional.
• Cleaning:  Turn the power and the gas off to the furnace FIRST!  Turn it off at the thermostat and at the breaker box.  Then turn the gas off by turning off the gas valve.  If you don’t see a gas valve, contact a professional.  It is very important that you turn off the gas supply and power supply before performing any type of cleaning.  You can use a vacuum cleaner with a long nozzle to remove dust.
• Check your belt:  Check the fan belt for signs of wear like cracking or fraying.  If you find this or if it seems loose, contact a professional. 
• Finish up: Finish your maintenance on the gas furnace by replacing the doors, restoring power and the gas supply.  With some furnaces, you may have to relight the pilot.  If you aren’t sure, contact a professional.  Test the furnace by turning it on at the thermostat and raising the temperature until it satisfies.

Contact Butler Heating & Air for more tips or call us to set up a preventative maintenance of your gas furnace.  Ask us about our bi-annual maintenance program and leave the maintenance to us.