Snowstorms and Furnaces

March 17, 2016

We haven’t completely escaped winter in South Beloit and Belvidere just yet. Mother Nature has provided us with a few nice days, but she’s always prepped to remind us that she’s in charge. When she does, you may not have to unexpectedly call a repairman out for furnace service if you keep a couple simple things in mind.

Both conventional furnaces and high-efficiency furnaces expend waste gases outside of the home. The difference with high-efficiency furnaces is that they also transfer in fresh air from outside the home. The ability for air to move effortlessly is crucial to proper and safe operation of a high-efficiency unit.

High efficiency intake and exhaust pipes can exit through the side of your home or vertically through the roof. Heavy snowfall could submerge your intake and exhaust pipes in the snow, hindering the free flow of air needed to work your high-efficiency furnace (High efficiency furnaces are created to automatically switch off should a blockage take place). To save that from happening during a heavy snowfall, it’s important to:

  • [Keep|Ensure you have|Maintain]26] a 3-foot/1-meter clearance around your intake and exhaust terminations to help keep this from happening.
  • Inspect the area regularly to be sure that it stays clear.

While the weather in South Beloit and Belvidere will probably fluctuate up and down over the last few days of winter, you can’t count out the possibility of weather that can impact the performance of your furnace. At Fleming Heating & Air Conditioning Inc in South Beloit and Belvidere, we are always available to check any areas around your home or answer any of your questions, whether they’re about furnace service or adding a new system. Keeping you and your family safe and comfortable is our highest priority. Give us a call at 877-389-2465 to find out more information.