HVAC Professional Advice for Wintertime Furnace Maintenance

A Detail of a Furnace Tune-Up

It's that time of year when many homeowners may hear how crucial it is to service their furnaces before winter sets in. The heater in your house needs upkeep, just like your car does. The emergency furnace repair that many homeowners could have avoided in the middle of winter sometimes comes as a surprise to them after they thought their system was functioning well.

"The obvious reason for a tune-up is to help you avoid your furnace going out on the coldest day of the year," says Carry Reed, vice president, and general manager at HVAC Installation and Repair Guide Experts. "Even more important, a tune-up improves reliability and efficiency; that way, your furnace doesn't short cycle, or overwork itself and diminish the overall life span of the unit."

Fundamentals of a furnace inspection

Depending on where you live, HVAC professionals may do a comprehensive tune-up slightly differently. According to the HVAC Installation and Repair Guide experts, the following are the significant elements of a furnace tune-up.

1. Check and keep up the burner.

Here, the technician carefully inspects and cleans the burner to eliminate any accumulated dust, debris, or other materials over the course of the year. Rust flakes in older systems might even land on the burners. If not removed, the burn may not be uniform, soot may accumulate, and cables and other system components may sustain damage.

2. Inspect and test the gas valves

For the furnace to receive the proper fuel pressure, Carry stated gas valves must be inspected and adjusted regularly. "Make sure the stove is not overheating and operates at the correct BTU levels. We also check the flame valve sensor and the pilot light on more old systems.

3. Check for cracks in the heat exchanger and carbon monoxide leaks.

Gas combustion in your furnace produces exhaust gases and sporadic carbon monoxide emissions. Since they are both designed to remove waste gases from houses properly, a functioning furnace or venting system cannot produce carbon monoxide. A damaged heat exchanger could let in carbon monoxide and exhaust fumes if the stove is not functioning. The professional should also examine the venting system for the furnace and other components that aid in removing harmful gas from the home.

The homeowner will occasionally neglect weather-related damage to flu pipes on roofs. Rodents or birds may construct nests there. All of these variables compromise the ability of the gas to escape appropriately to the outside. Additionally, Carry advised placing a carbon monoxide sensor in the home to alert you to any problems.

4. Examine any electrical components

A furnace has a few electrical safety relays and switches that must be inspected annually. A skilled technician should examine the blower and all other electrical components of the system to make the connections solid, the parts free of corrosion, and the electrical components operating at the proper current and voltage levels.

5. Vacuum the blower and switch out the air filter.

During each tune-up, the technician must clear the blower of all dust and debris and, if necessary, grease its bearings. This must be completed for the spring tune-up before the start of the summer. The professional should also replace your air filter, and they advise you to do the same every month or two, depending on its thickness, rating, and quality. It's critical to understand that changing the filter will keep your home's air pure while improving the lifespan and effectiveness of your system.

Reed added, "The blower attempts to send air through the heat exchanger, but a dirty filter stops that. "This obstruction causes a lot of heat exchanger malfunctions. Consider that all you accomplish during a tune-up may be undone if the filter is dirty.

For additional peace of mind, emphasize that a licensed technician must complete your tune-up. To be able to work on, repair, and even install a range of systems, these experts have undergone significant training.

Carry claims that a qualified mechanic can finish a tune-up in just over an hour and a half. The piece of mind that comes with considerably reducing the likelihood of a repair this winter is worth the work spent,