Category Archives: Furnaces

How to Prepare Your Furnace for Winter

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Keeping safe and warm this upcoming winter should be a priority for everyone in Philadelphia. To ensure that you do so, you’ll want to start preparing your Pennsylvania home’s furnace before temperatures begin to drop. The last thing you’ll want, after all, is for your furnace to have trouble heating your home effectively once you’re depending on it.

The experts at W.F. Smith can help guide you through your furnace preparations this fall. Schedule furnace maintenance or an inspection by calling (215) 624-1313 or contacting us online today!

How to Prepare Your Furnace for Pennsylvania Winters

The following are a few tips for preparing your furnace properly so that you can depend on it to heat your home as effectively and efficiently as possible throughout the winter season:

  • Replace your furnace filter – There’s a good chance that you didn’t replace the filter after you stopped using your furnace sometime last spring. Check the filter and either replace it or clean it (if needed). A dirty filter will obstruct the flow of hot air throughout your house, which means that not only will it be difficult to keep your home as warm as you like it, but your furnace will have to use more energy to try to heat your home up.
  • Clear the space around the furnace – Once you begin using your furnace, you won’t want anything flammable to be located near the unit or else you’ll have a fire hazard on your hands. Remove anything that’s stored too close to your furnace and sweep the area around it clean as well.
  • Clean the vents throughout your home – Remove the metal lid from your vents so that you can reach in with the extension of your vacuum cleaner to suck up any dust and debris that’s present. This will help ensure that the heat your furnace is producing is flowing unobstructed out your vents and throughout your house.
  • Clean the air ducts – Like cleaning your vents, cleaning your air ducts will help improve airflow – as well as the quality of your indoor air. However, this task is generally best left to the professionals since getting into your ducts can be very tricky without the right tools.
  • Schedule a professional inspection – A professional inspection can reveal any issues that your furnace might have that you didn’t know about. By taking care of these issues, you’ll reduce the risk of having your furnace break down on you in the middle of winter when you are depending on it the most. A professional inspector will also lubricate moving parts as well as clean dirty parts, thereby ensuring that your furnace will work as efficiently and effectively as possible. You should schedule an inspection on a yearly basis in either September or October if possible.

These are some of the tips that you should follow to make sure that your furnace is prepared for the upcoming winter season. These tips can help prevent the need for furnace repairs and replacement during the winter and can help you keep your heating costs down as well.

To schedule a professional furnace inspection, repair, or replacement, be sure to contact us at W.F. Smith today.

10 Signs You Need a New Furnace

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If you have an older furnace you may be wondering if you should give in now or wait it out and see what happens. Sometimes your furnace is trying to tell you something and watching and listening for certain signs can give you a good indication that it is time to replace your old furnace. Once replaced, you and your family will be able to enjoy comfort levels like never before. Check out the infographic below for some essential benefits of getting a new furnace:Benefits of a new furnace

Is Your Furnace Telling You Something?

These 10 signs are a good indication that your furnace is trying to tell you that it is close to the end of its life.

  1. Rising Energy Bills – Rising energy costs can be a definite sign that something is wrong with your furnace. If you have noticed your energy costs rise swiftly your furnace is having to work harder and replacing it may save you a lot of money in the future.
  2. Uncomfortable Home – If your furnace is having trouble keeping up with your home’s heating needs, your furnace may be reaching the end of its life. Replacing your old unit can help keep your home comfortable all winter long.
  3. Excess Repairs – If you are spending a lot of time scheduling repair appointments, your furnace is likely ready to give up the ghost. In the long run you will save money by not having to call for repairs all the time.
  4. Strange Sounds – While some noises can be fixed, squealing and clanging can sometimes occur as your furnace ages. Sometimes a furnace will continue to get louder and louder as it ages.
  5. Yellow Flames – If you have a gas furnace checking the flame can give you a good idea as to what is happening.  If you have a yellow flame instead of a blue flame your furnace may be producing excess carbon monoxide.
  6. Weak Air Flow – If you notice that the hot air coming out of your vents is not very strong your furnace may have major issues with its motor. Sometimes the motor can be repaired but depending on age it may be better to replace the unit.
  7. Excess Dust – If you have noticed more dust in your home your furnace is no longer doing a good job at removing airborne particles.
  8. Rust, Cracks, or Corrosion – If you take a look at your furnace and you notice rust, cracks, or corrosion then for safety reasons you need to have your furnace thoroughly checked. Once these things start occurring your furnace is showing its age and replacement is imminent.
  9. Cycling or Not Cycling – If your furnace is cycling on and off a lot or it just staying on constantly, this is a good sign that your furnace is no longer working correctly
  10. Completely Inoperable – If your furnace is more than 10 years old and it just stops working have someone look at it, it may be an easy fix or it may be trying to tell you something.

Choose W.F. Smith for Furnace Replacement in Philadelphia

A furnace is one of larger investments you’ll make for your home. When doing so, you should trust the professional in charge of the installation. Our team members are not only good at their job, but they excel at it. Check out the video below to see why W.F. Smith should be your go-to when it comes to your HVAC needs:

If you have a furnace that has reached the end of its life, contact the team at WF Smith today for furnace replacement services.