Greenwood Plumbing & Heating

Servicing Rhode Island and Southern MA
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Furnace

Shutting Down the Furnace for the Summer 

At Greenwood Plumbing and Heating we like to help our customers save money with their heating and cooling systems. Summer and Winter can put an immense amount of work on HVAC systems. This can lead to steep utility bills, but there are many ways to cut down on energy costs. One of them is partially or completely shutting down your home’s furnace during the summer. 

What a Furnace Shutdown Means 

A furnace shutdown is more than just saying “of course, I’ll turn off the furnace during the summer. All I have to do is ensure that the thermostat is set so that the heat doesn’t come on.” That is a good train of thought, however, that isn’t shutting down the appliance; it’s just preventing the heat from coming on. 

When we advise you to turn off your furnace it means we strongly suggest you disconnect the gas line and electrical power to the unit. This way it will not waste any electricity throughout the season. 

Why Would my Furnace Use Energy During Summer? 

A gas furnace includes electrical parts, such as sensors and these will consume power during the summer. We recommend shutting off the electricity to the furnace using the breaker panel. This will prevent someone from accidentally changing the thermostat settings causing it to turn on automatically. 

The Partial Furnace Shutdown 

It’s important not to switch off the electrical power to the furnace through the breaker if you have a central air conditioner as part of your HVAC system. In a centralized HVAC system with a furnace and air conditioner, both blower fans and electrical components are used by both devices. Turning off the electricity also means turning off the power needed to support your central air conditioner. 

A Last Reminder About Your Heater Before It Goes into Hibernation 

Even if the last day of heating your home may be many months down the road, or you plan on turning it off tomorrow, we want to stress that if you still need a repair don’t wait until fall. The last thing you want to deal with when the cold weather comes back is a furnace that failed because of a malfunction that wasn’t repaired in time. You also don’t want to risk the furnace breaking down during the last cold days of spring! It’s always better to act fast when you have a furnace that you suspect isn’t working.