3 Tips for Maintaining Your Furnace

3 Tips for Maintaining Your Furnace

Keeping your furnace running smoothly is a lot of work, but it's worth the effort. The last thing you want to do is have to call in an emergency technician after the heater develops issues in the middle of Winter. So, if you're running into any trouble with your furnace or want to prepare it for the cold days ahead, we’ve some tips for you. But before that, let’s look at the importance of maintaining your furnace regularly.

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Table of Contents
Why Furnace Maintenance Is Necessary
Take Your Time to Clean the Filters
Remove Obstruction Around Your Furnace
Schedule a Professional Inspection Once a Year
Conclusion

Why Furnace Maintenance Is Necessary

If you've ever owned a home, you know heating systems are essential to any home. They provide heat for the winter and keep your family warm during those cold months when it's too cold to go outside. However, if it's not maintained, it can become a danger to you and your family. Here are some reasons for furnace maintenance:

  • Ensures efficiency and lowers your energy utility bills - an older furnace can become less efficient over time. The result is it will overwork to heat your home — and that's expensive! Regular gas furnace service will help keep your furnace running as efficiently as possible, resulting in savings on utility bills and the energy used by your home.
  • Prevents expensive repairs - If you can catch problems before they become too large, you won't need to pay for costly repairs later on. This also prevents damage to other parts of your home; if a problem occurs in one area of your home but isn't addressed right away, it could cause further damage as time goes on.
  • Prevents fires and carbon monoxide poisoning - furnace maintenance is important to prevent fires - a yellow furnace light means there’s insufficient combustion. Maintenance can help you detect such problems early enough and prevent imminent carbon monoxide poisoning. It also boosts ventilation within the heating unit. Without proper ventilation, there's a risk of electrical fires because of overheating parts or malfunctioning wiring.

Now, here are three valuable tips for maintaining your furnace:

Take Your Time to Clean the Filters

A dirty filter can be a major source of your furnace’s problems. Filters are typically dirtier than you think, and it’s important to keep them clean so they work properly. You can clean a filter using a vacuum cleaner with a soft-bristled brush.

If you or your family has been suffering regular headaches, allergies, or carbon monoxide poisoning, the better option is to replace the filter rather than clean it. Normally, replace the filter at least thrice per year.

Besides cleaning/replacing the filter, do:

  • Check the burner flame
  • Vacuum-clean the blower cavities
  • Clean the blower
  • Remove dust from the pilot
  • Lubricate bearings
  • Clean the furnace flue

Remove Obstruction Around Your Furnace

Maintain the area around your furnace regularly to remove obstructions. Keep debris, snow, leaves, and spider webs away from the vents and chimney - they can cause damage to your unit's insulation and increase energy usage, which translates to a higher energy bill. Tree branches can even damage your unit if they fall on it, causing you to incur repair costs.

Schedule a Professional Inspection Once a Year

One of the best ways to maintain your furnace is by scheduling a professional inspection and tune-up once a year. A professional will troubleshoot your unit and tell you if there are any issues with it, and they can also recommend suitable replacements.

Conclusion

If you're looking for ways to save money on your home energy bills, it's important to maintain your furnace regularly. This will ensure that you don't have any costly repairs in the future and keep the efficiency of your heating system at an optimal level. It will also keep you and your family safe from health issues that come with faulty furnaces, such as carbon monoxide poisoning and headaches.

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    Abigail Jones
     

    Hi, I'm Abigail. I like spending time tearing my house apart and putting it together back again. Join me on home improvement tutorials, tips on my blog.

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