Keeping your home warm and comfortable relies on your furnace functioning at an optimal level. There are a number of furnace maintenance tasks that you want to perform on a regular basis to keep your heating system working as it should. Knowing what these are makes it easier to keep your home’s interior at the right temperature even in the coldest weather.
Clean Your Filters
No matter the type of furnace you have, it will contain at least one filter that requires either regular changing or cleaning. During the winter months when you are using your heating system regularly, you might need to attend to your filter about once a month. During the seasons where you are only using it periodically, switching it out once is generally sufficient.
When your filter is dirty, your heating system will be working under significantly more strain which reduces efficiency and can make the components wear out a lot faster. It can also cause the lifespan of your system to become shorter if you regularly forget to change out the filters.
About once a month, you want to look at fiberglass filters and change them if they are starting to get dirty. You can go about three months in between maintenance if your system is using a pleated filter. Permanent filters should be cleaned once a month. Every two months you want to check your electronic air-cleaner filter.
Take a Look at the Ducts and Vents
Ducts associated with your furnace are especially vulnerable to damage and this is even more true when you have a forced-air system. A vacuum cleaner is all you need to keep these clean. Make sure that the vacuum has enough power to pull out the dirt and debris that have accumulated. Once you are done, ensure that the covers are tightly secured into place to prevent air leaks.
A venting system is most common when you have a gas furnace. Large amounts of debris and dust can eventually block ventilation, resulting in a potentially hazardous situation if it is not taken care of promptly. Clean the vents using a large brush and then go back over it with a vacuum to pick up the remainder of the debris.
Check the Blower
Regularly inspecting your blower is another important part of regular furnace maintenance. Ideally, you want to check this every time you do maintenance on your filter so that it is not able to get dirty. Just like with your filter, a blower that is dirty can result in issues for your furnace. Your blower and filter work together, so when one is dirty or in need of maintenance, it can negatively impact the other. You want to ensure that all dust and debris is cleaned from it on a regular basis
Inspect the Burner Flames
You can turn up your thermostat to get the flames on your system to activate. Pay close attention to the color of the flame as this provides a lot of information about the overall health of your furnace. Concerning the color, it should be blue and fairly even. If your burner is dirty, you might notice that the flame is yellow. Breathing on the flame can also cause it to become this color, so do not get too close when you are inspecting. If a burner needs adjusted, have a professional do it.
About once every one to two years, you might want to have a professional come out and do an inspection of your furnace. They will be able to thoroughly inspect all of the various components to ensure that they are in good working order. If any part is no longer operating properly, they can fix it before it becomes a larger and more costly issue.