The beautiful September weather in Western Washington leads us to focus on outdoor activities. And, while some projects around the home become priorities at this time of year, they are usually on the outside of the house. Yet, there are some maintenance projects that should not be overlooked in preparation for the fall.

First thing that a homeowner should do is think about furnace maintenance. Most folks have gas furnaces or heat pumps. For people with oil furnaces, the oil supplier handles the service, usually on a contract, handling customer needs on a timely basis.

On the other hand, because gas comes from Puget Sound Energy, and there is no regular customer contact (other than the monthly bill), homeowners need to schedule technicians to service residential furnaces. There isnšt the commitment to ongoing maintenance that has been traditional with oil heat.

Just as an automobile requires periodic service, furnaces and heat pumps operate best if they are maintained regularly.

Routine furnace service includes: Inspection of heat exchangers for cracks and holes, cleaning burners and pilot light flame sensors, adjusting burner flames (if necessary), oiling the blower motor, inspecting the flue for signs of improper venting or deterioration, checking thermostat calibration and operation, cleaning or changing air filters, and inspecting unique features of a furnace, such as humidifiers.

Routine heat pump service includes: Inspection and cleaning of compressor coils and contacts, oiling motor, checking refrigerant level and circulation, inspecting condensation drain, cleaning blower wheel, checking electric heaters, checking defrost control, checking thermostat calibration and operation, cleaning or changing air filters, and inspecting any unique features of the heat pump.

Many heating and air conditioning contractors offer preventative maintenance plans, which include priority standing for additional service, should something unforeseen cause a loss of heat in the winter.

A second, and related, fall project is heat duct cleaning. For many years, there have been firms that have specialized in cleaning heat ducts in the home. Recently, two developments have brought this phase of home maintenance into the public spotlight. First, there has been an increasing awareness of indoor air quality as a source of allergy and disease causes. Second, there has been an emphasis within the carpet cleaning industry to expand into duct cleaning.

Duct cleaning takes place by attaching a huge vacuum hose to the heating duct at the furnace. The vacuum is turned on and all the vents in the home are covered with a solid, paper-like covering. Beginning with the vent farthest from the furnace, cleaning brushes and/or air-hose nozzles are inserted to loosen dust, dirt, animal fibers, etc., from the vent. The process is repeated at each vent in the home, recovering the cleaned vent and moving progressively closer to the furnace each time.

Two types of equipment can be used for this process: portable or truck-mounted. Portable systems, the type that are often seen in the Sunday newspaper fliers, are capable of moving 1,500-2,500 cubic feet of air per minute through residential heating ducts. Truck-mounted units move 10,000-15,000 cubic feet of air per minute.

While yearly duct cleanings are usually unnecessary, they should be considered every 3-5 years, depending on a homešs environment. If strange smells occur when the furnace turns on, itšs probably an indication of dirty ducts.

As the nights grow colder, itšs time to think about your homešs heating system and prepare it for winter.