Snowstorms and Furnaces

March 17, 2016

We haven’t completely escaped winter in Moline just yet. Mother Nature has provided us with a few nice days, but she’s always ready to remind us that she’s the boss. 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 exhaust waste gases outside of the home. The difference with high-efficiency furnaces is that they also take in fresh air from outside the home. The ability for air to move freely is critical 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 may bury your intake and exhaust pipes in the snow, hindering the free flow of air required to operate your high-efficiency furnace (High efficiency furnaces are developed 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 lines to help stop this from occurring.
  • Check the area routinely to ensure that it stays clear.

While the weather in Moline will more than likely go up and down over the last few days of colder temperatures, you can’t count out the chance of weather that can alter the performance of your furnace. At J.L. Brady Company LLC in Moline, we are always available to check any areas around your home or answer any of your questions, whether they’re about furnace service or purchasing a new system. Keeping you and your family safe and comfortable is our number one priority. Give us a call at 309-517-7511 to find out more information.