If Your Furnace Stops Working, It Might Be the Leaves!

This fall season has got to be one of the longest we’ve had in the last few years. And although autumn may be beautiful, those pretty yellow, orange and red leaves falling all around can cause some problems for your home that you wouldn’t really expect! Leaves can get caught in your eavestroughs, pile up quickly on your lawn, and even manage to clog up your furnace. If your furnace stops working, you may have to rake the leaves and keep them under control.

Your furnace will either have a chimney or PVC pipes (polyvinyl chloride pipes) for intake and outtake purposes. Furnaces with a lower efficiency (an AFUE rating of 89% and under) will have a chimney, and furnaces with a higher efficiency rating (that is, an AFUE of 90% and higher) will have PVC pipes on the outside of the home.

The leaves falling all around your property can actually clog up the furnace chimney or PVC pipes and force your furnace to stop working. They can be especially clingy from the moisture they gather from morning frost that melts, which then results in the leaves sticking to the insides of your furnace’s intake/outtake – a big mess for your unit.

So what can be done to prevent leaves from messing with your home comfort? Rake those leaves often and keep an eye out for leafy furnace clogs.

*Always remember to keep your safety in mind and power down your furnace before you attempt to clean out any trapped leaves!*

If you need a hand in cleaning out your furnace, don’t hesitate to give us a call! Here at JPS, our professional staff can show you how to effectively remove any blockages when your furnace stops working and to get your system back in order.

Click here to schedule an appointment or to contact us with any questions you may have.