Should I Turn My Furnace Off in The Summertime
Turning your furnace off in the summer can have several benefits, but it’s important that you know more about your furnace first before you turn it off.
The summer season is almost here! Pretty soon your furnace won’t be needed for months to come and your AC will become an essential appliance in your home once again. With your furnace not being used for so long, you may wonder if you should turn your furnace off during the summer. We suggest that you do, and we’ve created a guide to help you during that process.
Do I turn off the pilot light in the summer?
Old furnaces have a small and continuously burning flame called a pilot light that is used to ignite the burners during every heating cycle. If you have an old furnace, you should turn off the pilot light in the summertime for a few reasons. As the pilot light burns it generates heat and moisture that is unwanted in your home during the hot summer season. There’s no need to add any unwanted heat in your home during the summer, so simply turning off the pilot light will make your home slightly cooler than before. Also, by turning off the pilot light you ensure that no one will accidentally crank on the heat in your home on a burning hot summer day.
The pilot light will also continue burning gas even when the furnace isn’t set to “heat”. This means that the continuously burning pilot light will cost you money in the summer when the furnace isn’t even in use. Turn off the pilot light in the summer to save money and energy.
How do I turn my furnace off?
Wait until it’s consistently warm outside before you turn off your furnace. It can be cool during the night all the way until May, so don’t turn off your furnace to soon.
When the time has come, here are the steps to follow:
- Turn the pilot light off by tuning the knob to the “off” position.
- Turn off the furnace’s main gas supply. If your stove or water heater are also powered by natural gas, make sure that you don’t shut off the gas supply to the entire house.
- Now would also be a great time to change your furnace filter, so when it’s time to use your furnace again in autumn, it’s clean and ready for use.
Should modern high efficiency furnaces be turned off in the summer?
A modern mid to high efficiency furnace has an electric ignition instead of a pilot light. This means that it does not constantly burn gas to keep the pilot light on. This makes it unnecessary to turn off a modern furnace for the summer. Although, you should still change your furnace filter before the summer comes to make sure that your furnace will be ready for use come autumn.
Should I turn my furnace off if my furnace and air conditioner work together?
A furnace that works together with your air conditioner is called a forced air furnace. If you have this type of furnace, then it is often the case that your furnace controls the air conditioner’s fans. In this situation, the air conditioner can only circulate cool air when the furnace is turned on. So, if you have a forced air furnace, do not turn it off in the summertime.
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We hope that this guide has helped you to get your home ready for the hot weather that’s approaching. If you have any further questions regarding turning your furnace off in the summer or you have any other HVAC concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us at any time. Our highly trained and experienced technicians are more than prepared to assist you with any of your HVAC problems. We provide efficient and quick furnace and air conditioner replacement done by our team of HVAC professionals. We offer a variety of furnace and air conditioner rental, purchasing, and financing options. Give us a call at 1 (855) 998-2998 or fill out our online request form and we will be happy to assist you with your request.
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