Living in Santa Rosa can be hot throughout the summer, but what happens when the weather eventually starts to cool down? If you’ve spent at least a year in the Santa Rosa area, you know that the warm weather the region is known for is a constant feature. In fact, temperatures in Santa Rosa can drop significantly during the winter, especially after sunset. If you want to make sure that you and the other inhabitants of your building stay cozy from late fall to the holidays and all the way until early spring, you’ll want to make good use of your furnace. However, to make using your furnace cost-effective, you should also take steps to avoid the most expensive kinds of furnace repair in Santa Rosa.
Furnace repairs can run the gamut from relatively small and inexpensive to laborious and costly. You can avoid or put off many of the more expensive maintenance occurrences by arranging for the smaller ones first. Following are five ways you can focus on smaller or less costly tasks to avoid higher-priced furnace repair:
- Avoid Ambitious Attempts at DIY Furnace Repair in Santa Rosa
Simple neglect causes many expensive furnace problems, but surprisingly the opposite is also true; people who tinker around with their furnaces without proper knowledge or experience may cause expensive damage to their systems. Many components of your furnace are particularly delicate and sensitive. As such, they should not be handled directly and should be left entirely alone by people not professionally trained in furnace repair. One such component is the hot surface ignitor. Even advanced self-help sites warn that handling your ignitor directly can cause considerable damage, as this component is incredibly delicate. If you are uncertain about which components in your furnace you can handle, it is best to leave such work to professionals. It could save you from replacing expensive parts.
- Pay Close Attention to Your Filters
Your filters require changing every 30 – 60 days, as neglecting them can cause damage to other parts of your system. Dirty filters do more than hurt the quality of the air that moves through your home. If left unchecked, they can also cause an eventual buildup of debris in your ducts, which needs cleaning out because it is a potential fire hazard. A full duct cleaning can be expensive, so it is better to change your filters regularly. Fortunately, this is a simple and inexpensive process that can you can undertake without professional assistance.
- Take Good Care of the Space Around Your Furnace
Another easy thing you can do to prevent expensive problems from befalling your furnace is to clean the area around it on a regular basis. You will want to remove dust and grime from the region, but you should also be careful to remove larger objects from the vicinity of the furnace because too much clutter can impede the flow of air throughout your unit. Proper airflow helps you avoid efficiency problems, premature wear and tear, and can even help you lower fire risks.
- Connect with a Strong Furnace Repair Company Well Before Disaster Strikes
Of course, professional help will likely be necessary at some point. When it is, you should make sure that you call professionals with whom you have an existing relationship. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, you will be more likely to experience honest and transparent service with a company you already know. Secondly, a company whose technicians already know your home will be able to work with your system more efficiently instead of taking time to orient themselves in the building. As a result, you will likely face lower costs for their labor (since most companies charge by the hour for their service). Some service providers even offer financing to make their work more affordable.
- Consider Long-Term Service Contracts
Another way to save money on your professional furnace repair services is to enter into a long-term service contract. Service contracts engage a technician to visit your home on a regular basis in exchange for an annual fee. When they do, they will look for evidence of any issues and either nip them in the bud or inform you so that you can be proactive about solving them. Think of a service contract like an early warning system for your furnace. When you use one, you will often be able to detect problems before they become dire and inconveniently expensive.
Keeping your furnace in excellent condition can be easier and more affordable than many people believe. Make sure to follow our tips above for cost-effective furnace repair in Santa Rosa, so that you can avoid the priciest repairs and enjoy reasonably priced comfort whenever the weather becomes cold. For more information, be sure to read our other blog posts and learn as much as you can about the way your climate control systems work.