Key Points
- Preventative furnace maintenance is crucial for efficiency, consistency, and safety. Properly maintained systems save money and improve air quality.
- Perform routine furnace maintenance annually. The best time to schedule furnace servicing is in autumn, before heavy use in winter.
- Many parts in your furnace may need repair or replacement, even if performance has remained stable.
When was the last time that you had a licensed furnace technician take a look at your furnace? Even if your heating system is running as expected, don’t be complacent. You should have a qualified professional perform routine maintenance. Routine maintenance improves efficiency, ensures safety, conserves energy, and maximizes savings. Neglecting regular furnace maintenance, even if your system is operating as intended, is a recipe for costly repairs or replacements. Curious about what goes into gas furnace maintenance? Use this guide to learn about furnace inspection and maintenance so you can feel confident about what it involves, when to seek help from a qualified furnace technician, and why it matters.
Why Is Preventive Furnace Service Essential?
If you want a safe, effective, and quiet furnace, maintaining a regular service schedule is non-negotiable. You may be wondering: Why should I call in a technician if my furnace isn’t raising any red flags? Annual preventive maintenance isn't about fixing problems that already exist: it's about preventing future issues from developing. Preventive furnace servicing has several advantages, including the following.
Preventive Maintenance Saves You Money
Waiting until noticeable issues appear can be more expensive than performing regular maintenance. Preventive furnace service reduces the risk of severe breakdowns and extends your furnace’s life. In most cases, simple upkeep is much less expensive than emergency repairs. Regular maintenance also keeps your furnace running at peak efficiency longer, saving you money on your energy bills in the long run.
Preventive Maintenance Boosts Your Air Quality
On average, Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, but air pollutants can be two to five times more concentrated inside. Substandard indoor air quality is a grave health concern for everyone, though those with asthma, respiratory problems, or immunodeficiencies are the most vulnerable. Dust, pet dander, mold, smoke, bacteria, and viruses can enter our homes at any time, working their way into the HVAC system and circulating through the air ducts, eventually entering your body with each breath. Preventive maintenance protects your health by mitigating how many of these allergens and pollutants manage to exit the furnace. An HVAC professional will ensure your furnace air filters are clean and functioning, making your indoor air as pure as possible.
Preventive Maintenance Keeps You Cozy All Year
Gas furnace maintenance ensures your system delivers even, steady airflow throughout your home. An effective furnace and clean ductwork will withstand extreme temperatures, guaranteeing every room is comfortable.
Preventive Maintenance Protects Your Home and Family
A malfunctioning furnace can mean disaster for your home, including frozen or burst pipes, flooding, and even structural damage. Catch issues before they become emergencies with regular inspections and preventative maintenance, which will also reduce the risk of carbon monoxide, keeping your family safe.
Preventive Maintenance Is Beneficial for the Environment
Preventive maintenance ensures your HVAC system can uphold its full efficiency. An inefficient system wastes fuel and releases more harmful fumes into the air. Operating on as little fuel and electricity as possible lessens your furnace's impact on the environment while saving you money on monthly energy bills.
How Often Should Furnaces Get Maintenance Checks?
If you have a gas furnace, you need routine checkups. Ideally, you should seek maintenance once a year in the fall. As the leaves change and the temperature starts to drop, your furnace could be in for a shock. Depending on where you live, it might have been months since your furnace last kicked on. Winter is on the horizon, and the coldest season of the year in the northern hemisphere will put your system through its paces almost every day.
Think about how you would handle a vehicle in a similar situation: If you let a car sit unused in a garage all winter, you'd want to get an inspection before taking it across the country on a summer road trip. The same principle applies to your furnace– a professional should ensure everything is in top shape before winter approaches.
What Gas Furnace Parts Need Regular Inspections and Maintenance?
For an in-depth breakdown of what servicing looks like, check out our furnace maintenance guide. Keep in mind that some components require extra attention during the process. Here are parts of your furnace you may need to have tuned up or replaced during routine maintenance.
Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger is an essential element of your furnace that keeps combustion gases separate from the air you breathe. This component releases warm air inside and vents any fumes created in the process safely outside. Continuous heating and cooling expand and contract this component's metal walls. Over time, the metal can wear thin. Imagine bending a paper clip back and forth until it snaps — the same happens to your heat exchanger over several years. A worn heat exchanger can mean combustion gases, including carbon monoxide, are released into the home. Breathing these fumes can be fatal, according to the CDC, or the Centers for Disease Control. To keep you and your family safe, you need a professional to check for invisible gas leaks, cracks, or deterioration in the heat exchanger.
Burner
Gas combustion occurs in the burner, producing heat for the heat exchanger. An unclean burner can result in inefficient combustion, soot buildup, or condensation. These issues can drive up your energy bills and shorten your furnace's lifespan. At least once a year, a professional should remove and clean the furnace's burner. They'll also test the quality of the burner flames and make adjustments as needed to maintain efficiency.
Pilot Light or Ignition
Older furnaces have pilot lights, whereas modern furnaces use automatic ignition systems. An automated ignition system uses either an electrical spark or a resistance heating element to ignite the fire when needed. Since it only burns on command, modern furnaces using automated ignition conserve fuel and mitigate some of the safety concerns created by pilot lights.
A pilot light is always burning, requiring a small but steady stream of gas to stay lit. Several issues can arise with the ignition. A weak flame can quickly extinguish, shutting down the furnace. A faulty or dirty flame sensor will fail to detect a flame. The gas valve or pilot opening can clog. In any of these instances, a professional will need to clean elements and make adjustments.
Gas Line
As their name suggests, gas lines transport gases in and out of the furnace system. These gases are flammable and dangerous, so it's essential to check for leaks often. Since these gases are undetectable to the naked eye, a technician will use an electronic leak detector.
Flue Pipe
The flue pipe directs exhaust gases to release outside of your home to guarantee your indoor air is clean and safe to breathe. Corrosion on the metal flue pipe can result in hazardous gas leaks within the home. During maintenance, it's vital to check the flue pipe for signs of potential leaks. The furnace maintenance professional will keep an eye out for possible corrosion.
Fan and Blower
The fan or blower on your furnace moves hot air where it's needed. The low-power motor that operates the fan can run into issues, causing system malfunctions, connecting belts to slip out of place, or dirt build-up, reducing the unit's efficiency. It's crucial to have your furnace's fan and fan motor serviced during the routine check.
Combustion Air
Combustion air is the air supply that is used in the combustion process. The furnace needs a steady air supply to function. Any blockages in the intake vents or pipes can cause the furnace to stop working. These areas need regular cleaning and unclogging to ensure efficiency.
Air Filter
Filter blockages decrease the furnace’s lifespan, forcing it to work a lot harder than is normally necessary. You'll need to clean or replace your filters about once every one to three months. A clean filter makes for an efficient system, conserving energy and saving you money. One filter cleaning during an annual checkup is often insufficient — luckily, you can replace the air filter yourself, or schedule professional filter checks for each season.
Bearings and Motors
Motors and bearings are central to any mechanical system. Bearings reduce friction during operation while motors power essential elements like the fan. Your technician will ensure all furnace components are ready to perform their respective tasks. They might apply lubricating oil to smooth its operation and check that all connecting belts are securely in place.
Electrical Connections
An electrical shortage can cause furnace failure. When a fuse blows, your furnace cannot produce heat, resulting in discomfort and furthering the risk of damage due to freezing temperatures within your home. A professional will check for faulty wiring, overloaded circuits, nearby water leaks, an unclean fuse, and other possible causes of electrical failure.
Replacing Your Furnace
If your furnace is hitting the edge of the average furnace life and you’ve done all you can to troubleshoot a furnace that has stopped working, it’s time to face the facts: you need to replace your furnace.
For a high-efficiency powerhouse that can handle homes between 1000 and 1200 square feet, the 60k BTU 96% AFUE Goodman Gas Furnace is a great option. 55,000 to 60,000 BTUs, or British Thermal Units, of primary heating capacity quickly and efficiently heat your home using multi-speed functionality that conserves energy during normal operation. Setup is equally effective in upflow and left or right horizontal orientations, meaning most home layouts can benefit from this Goodman Gas Furnace.
Need something with low emissions without compromising on efficiency? The 90k BTU 96% AFUE MrCool Signature Gas Furnace is the perfect choice! Ideal for homes between 1500 and 1800 square feet, you’ll be cozy with a primary heating output of 85,000 to 90,000 BTUs. When you can have all of this power backed by an extensive warranty that includes 10 years of coverage on parts and a limited lifetime on the heat exchanger, the only thing keeping your home from consistently toasty temperatures is you!
Out of stock
Get Yourself a Furnace Today at IWAE
Eliminate the struggle to keep your home cozy during wintertime with a furnace designed specifically for your needs. Browse our wide selection of gas furnaces from major brands like Goodman and MrCool, or whittle down the pool by choosing a new, powerful system from our furnace options with an AFUE rating of 96% or higher. Figuring out the perfect furnace for your home can seem overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. With the customer service experts at IWAE only a call or message away, you can breathe easy knowing someone is in your corner from start to finish.
