Key Points
- Regular furnace maintenance is integral for efficient and safe performance.
- Always follow proper safety precautions when cleaning and servicing your furnace.
- If you’re not comfortable with any of the necessary maintenance tasks, call in a professional. None of the steps should be skipped or avoided due to discomfort.
Oh no! Your uncle, who usually gives your HVAC system a fine-tune before the temperature drops, moved away. You’ve never had to change the furnace filter or perform maintenance on your furnace before, but don’t let that stop you from keeping your system in good shape. Taking care of your furnace is essential for staying safe and warm in winter. Plus, a clean, energy-efficient heating system can do more than create a cozy ambiance that fights off frigid weather! Properly maintaining your furnace mitigates seasonal allergies, keeps utility bills affordable, and ensures you and your family stay comfortable. With these furnace maintenance tips, you can keep your furnace in good shape for the season.
Why Do You Need to Maintain a Furnace?
Taking care of your furnace is essential for maintaining toasty temperatures in your home during the winter. Annual furnace maintenance can benefit your property in a range of ways, including:
- Preventing costly emergency repairs
- Extending your unit's lifespan
- Saving money on your energy bills
- Keeping you and your family safe from harmful gases like carbon monoxide
- Filtering out contaminants for clean airflow
Learn more about why preventive maintenance is so important in our post outlining what’s involved in gas furnace maintenance.
Safety Tips to Consider Before You Work on Your Furnace
Before you do any actual maintenance, you should survey your furnace. Make sure you know what type of heating system you have and look up the manufacturer’s recommended safety precautions. Different systems will have different safety precautions to keep in mind. For instance, electric furnaces require a significant amount of energy to operate, but they are dependable and low-maintenance thanks to their overheating prevention features. Gas and oil furnaces tend to be cost-effective and energy-efficient, but the trade-off is that they have a higher likelihood of issues arising due to the number of components.
When you examine your heating unit, keep in mind that the surrounding area should be devoid of debris, dust, and dirt. Remove any flammable items from the vicinity, then sweep or vacuum around the outside of the furnace to ensure a safe, efficient inspection. Unless you're verifying that a specific component in the furnace is functioning as expected, make sure you power the whole thing down. After you power down the system and any circuits it connects to, check your unit for gas leaks. Gas leaks can be dangerous or even fatal, so if you notice any, immediately contact a professional to help you fix the issue.
Remember: If you aren't comfortable or capable of performing maintenance on your home’s HVAC system, you should not attempt it. You risk voiding your warranty by performing any maintenance tasks more intensive than inspection and cleaning by yourself, so always call in a trained professional to handle furnace repairs.
What Are the Steps for Furnace Maintenance?
You'll want to familiarize yourself with your furnace parts and related processes before you begin maintenance. If you do not feel confident performing any of these steps, ask an expert to conduct your furnace maintenance. Ensure you are abiding by all manufacturer warranty requirements and local codes. The steps commonly taken when performing annual furnace maintenance are as follows:
1. Inspect Furnace Burner Flames
The burner creates the heat your furnace uses to spread warmth throughout your home. To see if the burners are working correctly, adjust your thermostat to a higher temperature. The flame coming out of your heating unit should be steady and blue. If the flame is yellow, the burner may be dirty. Head to the next step to learn proper burner cleaning techniques.
Since oxygen could also turn the flame yellow, you should avoid breathing directly onto the fire. You can make adjustments to the burner that are in line with the manufacturer's guidance if it still does not produce an even, blue flame after cleaning.
2. Clean Burners
Before you clean the burners, remember to turn off the power and gas to your furnace to avoid gas leaks or electrocution. If your furnace has run recently, give it ample time to cool down. Once it’s safe, take a vacuum with a hose attachment and suck up any dust and dirt around the burners and base. If your hose can’t reach the far back of the burners, tape a half-inch drain line to your vacuum hose to give it a little extra length. Removing any debris near the burner ensures adequate gas flow throughout the unit.
Once you've opened the furnace, take a flashlight and examine the inside for soot buildup. This fine black powder is usually a signal of incomplete combustion, low combustion, or an inadequate airflow of toxins out of the combustion chamber. You should also lift the blower door and vacuum the blower compartment.
3. Clean Blower Blades
The blower is often located near the air filter, as proper filtration happens before the heated air is dispersed through the house. Removing the blower from the unit makes it easy to remove any debris the air filter might have missed. If there's a control panel blocking access to this component, loosen two of the screws and let it hang while cleaning. Use a socket and ratchet to remove the two bolts holding the blower in place and gently remove it from the unit.
After you've removed the blower, use a vacuum and a small brush to clean its blades. Be careful not to apply stress to the wiring or counterweights on the fan blades, as this could damage or break the hardware. Thoroughly remove dirt and dust from the blower with a damp cloth and vacuum to prevent the blower from becoming off balance. Along with the blades, clean any of the pulleys and belts that have accumulated debris. Make sure the fan blades are fully dry before reinstalling the component in your furnace.
4. Clean or Replace Your Furnace Filter
The furnace's filter is supposed to keep dust and other allergens out of the heating unit. Without regular replacement, your filter will accumulate too much debris and spread the excess contaminants throughout the HVAC system and your home. Standard filters usually aren't expensive, but choosing a high-efficiency option that fits your system is a worthwhile investment if your family members have allergies or other health concerns.
Consult your owner’s manual to determine how often you should change this critical furnace component. If the filter isn’t due for replacement, you can still use a vacuum to clean out debris, and you can use a little warm, soapy water to remove stubborn contaminants. If you have a cheaper filter, change it out instead of trying to clean the thin fibers. Keeping up with air filter replacements is one of the best ways to maintain your furnace properly.
5. Inspect Belts
If you have a belt-driven blower, check the belts for tears and cracks to determine whether they need adjustment or replacement. A new belt only costs a few dollars, so don’t hesitate to replace a worn belt the moment you notice damage. If the belt is intact but loose, it may just need tightening to maintain safe, reliable operation.
If your furnace needs a new belt, increase the tension to run in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. You can check the belts at any time during maintenance, but we suggest examining the felt belt while you're cleaning out the filter for expediency. If your furnace doesn't come with a belt-driven blower, skip this step.
6. Perform Air Duct Cleaning
The furnace ducts circulate hot air through your home, but time can create gaps in their airtight seal. Ducts collect dust and debris if the air filter isn't working correctly or isn’t replaced often enough. To ensure air flows freely and cleanly, you can use a high-powered vacuum to remove the debris. After cleaning the ducts, seal any leaks or gaps with high-temperature silicone or metal tape to restore efficiency.
If you have a gas furnace, resealing the ductwork also helps when performing a backdrafting test to verify that any combustion gases travel up the flue system and out of your home. To test for backdrafting, simply reconnect power to your furnace, adjust the thermostat to activate the burners, and hold a small flame next to the draft hood to ensure the smoke goes toward the hood. If the smoke isn't pulled toward the hood, combustion gases could be leaking into your home. This indicates that the flue system requires repairs to ensure proper carbon monoxide safety.
After the backdrafting test, you should let the system cool down and then inspect the exhaust vent pipes on your water heater and furnace. If you notice any white powdery residue, you should consult a professional to replace the pipes, as this substance is a sign of corrosion. Since corrosion weakens metal parts, the exhaust vent pipes could deteriorate and leak harmful gases from the system into your home.
7. Clean Furnace Vents
We know that gas furnaces and central heating systems use ductwork to blow hot air throughout your home. Along with ductwork and exhaust pipes, the vents will also require cleaning and inspection to verify they’re in good condition. Before you turn on the furnace, walk around your house and inspect each vent. Make sure these vents are accessible by removing any pet hair, scraps of paper, or other obstructions. If any of these contaminants enter the vents, they could travel throughout the ductwork and spread through the air.
Take off the registers covering your vents and use a vacuum to remove the debris. It's especially important to clean these components if you've recently renovated or completed any other home improvement projects. Once the vents are free of debris, be sure to keep furniture a safe distance away. Chairs, couches, and other heavy furnishings block airflow, which can put extra pressure and strain on your heating system.
8. Clean Flame Sensor
The flame sensor is an important safety feature on your furnace. The sensor verifies whether a fire is present when the gas valve is open. If your furnace emits gas without an ignition source, the dangerous buildup of unburned gas can lead to an explosive disaster. When the burners activate, the flame sensor should shut off gas release if it does not detect a flame to keep your furnace and home safe. Regular use may cause carbon residue accumulation on the flame sensor that prevents your furnace from turning on the burner. To clean the carbon off the flame sensor, follow these steps:
- Remove the flame sensor by pulling it out of the bracket.
- Lightly wipe the surface with fine emery cloth.
- Carefully wipe the metal rod with very light sandpaper to ensure it can accurately check for the presence of a flame.
- Use a paper towel to wipe away any dust that accumulated from the sanding.
9. Check Furnace Fan
Furnace fan hardware, such as the belt, motor, and blades, needs to be inspected for signs of wear and tear. Moreover, they need to be cleaned to remove dust and debris. After the unit has been powered down for roughly 30 minutes, confirm that the furnace fan isn't overloaded by pressing the reset button. Repeat this process until the fan is functioning as expected.
Some furnaces come with a motor that will need oil lubrication to continue running efficiently. Once you’ve confirmed your motor is in good working order, you can apply a few drops of oil based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. Be careful not to over-lubricate; this could cause the oil to overflow and stain the floor.
10. Monitor Thermostat
The thermostat activates your furnace based on the temperature you input. When the unit is faulty, setting the temperature to a high level could leave the room cold and uncomfortable. This kind of issue often indicates a problem with the thermostat, especially if it’s an older model. Thermostats can stop working, so replace yours if it isn’t doing its job.
You should always check your furnace in the fall before cold weather hits, so be sure to add your thermostat to that system inspection. Thermostats don’t contain as many moving parts as a furnace, but proper thermostat care is critical for consistent performance. Other than system failure from old age, issues can arise due to improper installation, dirt buildup, and corrosion caused by loosened switches. If your decades-old thermostat finally gives out, consider upgrading to a smart thermostat for better efficiency.
Maintain your Furnace with Support from IWAE
With regular, proper maintenance, your furnace should be able to keep your home cozy for years. If these steps don’t do the trick, or you simply want a more efficient heating solution, IWAE has a wide selection of gas furnaces and heat pumps that can give your home the warmth you need this winter. For more complex troubleshooting and support, reach out to our customer service team! All it takes is a call or message to get in touch with the heating experts at IWAE to get the right modern heating solution for your home.
