What You Need To Know About Furnace Maintenance

Buying and installing a new furnace in your home can cost anywhere from $3,00-$5,000+.  And, although it is a necessary purchase to live a comfortable life, it is not necessarily a purchase you want to make. For that reason, understanding how to maintain your furnace so you can prolong its life is of the utmost importance.  So, without further ado, here is what you need to know about furnace maintenance.

You need to change the furnace filter.

As the months start getting colder, one of the first things you will want to do is change your furnace filter.  As a furnace is used, dirt and dust from the air gets caught in the furnace filter and builds up. As the dirt and dust build up the furnace struggles to operate.  For that reason, the best practice for changing a furnace filter is to do so once every 2-3 months while it is being used. On average every household should change the furnace filter 2-3 times per winter.

Inspect the burner flames every winter.

Your furnace operates by flames heating your furnace system to send warm air throughout the house. Therefore, if your furnace burner flames are not properly burning, your furnace is not working efficiently.  Each winter as you turn on your furnace be sure to inspect each burner flame to see if it is burning blue and bright. This will help your furnace to run more efficiently and prevent major furnace accidents.

Clean the furnace blower and blades regularly.

To assist in making sure your furnace is blowing clean air throughout the house efficiently, one of the best things you can do is to clean the furnace blower and blades.  The easiest method for doing this is to remove the blower and vacuum each blade individually. If you do this once per season, you will help to keep your furnace in good working order and prevent major damage.

 

Before you try any of these regular maintenance tasks for your furnace, be sure to turn the unit off.  Working with a live furnace can be dangerous. Better yet, instead of trying to do it yourself, call a trusted professional like 410-SAMEDAY. They will get the job done and keep your family safe!