Inspect Your Heating Unit to Avoid Costly, Emergency Repairs

by Kevin Smith Author

Maintaining your heating system is critical if you want to ensure optimum efficiency and dependability throughout the colder months. Without doing at least basic monitoring, you will only discover if you have a problem when it manifests itself in the form of a failure. At that point, your leverage as a customer disappears and you become subject to the schedules and associated costs of heating system repair in Villa Rica. To avoid that, do this.

Inspect the Main Cabinet

They are mostly closed off, but it is amazing how much dirt and debris can make its way inside the main cabinet. Twice a year, inspect this and remove any debris you find. Since this debris is going to mainly be leaves, pay attention to what type of tree or shrub they are coming from. To reduce the amount of debris that gets into your main cabinet, you may want to consider moving a shrub or trimming a tree to cut down on the amount of leaves that are available to get into the cabinet.

Inspect the Base Pan

Your base pan collects drainage from your home, primarily when the unit is cooling. Once a year, inspect this and make sure that all the drainage tubes are clear. Look for obstructed openings and if possible clear them. If you cannot, call a repair company to get them troubleshot and cleared.

Watch the Fan Blades

Your heating unit fans take a beating. They are exposed to weather, subject to having stuff laid on top of them, can get climbed on by children, have things fall on them, etc. Any of that stuff can damage the blades in the fan. Inspect the blades when the unit is not operating and look for nicks and dents, then look at it when the unit is running to verify that it spins evenly and with no obstruction. If you discover a blade that damaged or if the fan does not rotate evenly, call your heating repairman.

Inspect and Clean the Control Box

This also can collect dirt, dust, and debris. Give it a close inspection and remove any debris. Clean the external shell of the box. Be on the lookout for any worn parts. If you find any breach of the external shell, call your repair service.

Inspect the Coil for Leaks

Give the coil a careful examination both when the unit is off and when it is running. Look for leaks and a worn surface. If you discover any, call your repair service immediately.

Giving your heating unit an inspection and cleaning at least once a year will let you head off any major failures. If you discover problems, you will still have to contact a company that does heating system repair in Villa Rica, but by preempting a failure, you will save time, money and aggravation.