It’s easy to forget that your home’s furnace even exists. Modern furnaces operate quietly and efficiently in the background, providing reliable heat with little noise.
Be that as it may, your furnace is still an appliance, and that means its parts will wear out, tolerances will decrease, and efficiency will drop. Eventually (around 15 years from its purchase), your furnace will reach the end of its operational life, and you’ll need a new one.
A furnace that becomes too old to function is somewhat of an inevitability. Still, simple heater maintenance can help stave off a costly furnace repair or replacement before that time arrives in the following ways:
Changing the Air Filter
The first item on any furnace tune-up checklist is the unit’s air filter. Every 30 to 90 days, your filter will be all used up, and it will be time to put in a new one. These filters are responsible for trapping contaminants and pollutants that would otherwise circulate through your home and into the furnace itself.
Things like dust, soot, and dirt are just as terrible for you as they are for your furnace, as they can get into bearings and belts, causing premature wear and failure. Additionally, once an air filter becomes clogged, it restricts airflow, which makes your furnace work harder to push air through your home. That puts extra wear and tear on it, shortening its lifespan.
Cleaning the Furnace and Ducts
Just as a clogged filter leads to more stress on the furnace, so do clogged ducts and vents. For the health of you, your family, and your furnace, you should schedule duct cleaning every one to two years.
It must be said, however, that cleaning ducts is not a DIY process. In particular, the reason that you should leave it to the crew in charge of your heater tune-up is that duct cleaning requires special equipment, such as cleaning agents and high-powered vacuums, that aren’t typically available to the average consumer.
Inspecting for Leaks, Rust, and Other Damage
When technicians are performing your furnace maintenance, they’ll inspect it for signs of damage or disrepair. These may include leaking fuel, whether in gas or liquid form, as well as corrosion, which can be a sign of a serious internal problem. The workers will also listen for any odd sounds, such as rattles or hums, which often indicate worn bearings or dying electric motors. Finally, the team will inspect the unit’s condensate drain to make sure it’s flowing.
Air leaks, while not being life-threatening or immediately damaging, do decrease a system’s efficiency and cause it to run longer when heating your home. Such leaks can be found around doors and windows, as well as damaged or misaligned ductwork.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Friction is the enemy of efficiency. The lubrication that was present in parts during your furnace’s installation can gum up as it takes on contaminants; it can even leak. Tune-up techs will lubricate bearings, shafts, and other moving parts to keep them friction-free.
Schedule Your Furnace Maintenance With On The Spot Air Conditioning & Heating
Keep your furnace running like new with expert maintenance from On The Spot! We’ll handle everything from swapping filters to replacing major parts, all done quickly with attention to detail. To give your furnace the attention it deserves, contact On The Spot Air Conditioning & Heating today!
