Some Tips for Heater Maintenance
Writer • June 14, 2019
Winter is prime time for heater usage, but is your heating system ready to handle cold days and nights? How much maintenance will you do yourself? Here are some of the top furnace maintenance tips from an expert in HVAC repair in Kalamazoo, MI:
- Do maintenance early: The dead of winter is the worst time to have an inefficient heater on your hands, but chances are, if your furnace is going to fail or act up, it will do so when you need indoor heat the most. To prevent this from happening, take a proactive approach to furnace maintenance. It’s recommended that you plan a thorough furnace maintenance check every year near the end of the warm season. Performing annual maintenance well in advance of when you need to use the furnace gives you plenty of time to make any needed repairs.
- Inspect the furnace: Before cleaning or otherwise touching your furnace, be sure to perform a visual inspection. For gas furnaces, take a look at the venting pipe to ensure it’s securely fastened and angled. Drainage tubes should be securely fastened as well. Another thing you should do is sniff around the unit’s gas line. If you detect a rotten egg smell, your furnace likely has a gas leak—call your gas company immediately if this is the case.
- Check the drainage tube: Furnaces that run on natural gas or propane produce small amounts of water as they heat up. While some of this blows out as exhaust steam, the rest drains from the power exhaust manifold and into a drip pan. The drainage tube must be clear at all times; otherwise, water could fill the manifold and flame sensor, which can cause a system shutdown.
- Clean the flame sensor: If the flame sensor in a gas furnace gets dirty, the unit will stop working. Remove and clean this component once a year. To do this, unscrew the sensor from the furnace, hold it at the bottom, then clean the part with an emery cloth. Reattach the clean sensor and reinstall the door.
- Inspect thermostat wires: Turn off the power and remove the furnace doors. Lightly pull the furnace thermostat wires to ensure they are fitting tight and proper.
- Dust and vacuum the furnace: Furnace units are usually enclosed in a furnace closet with ventilation, but some stand freely in a corner. Either way, your furnace is going to gather some amount of dirt, dust and debris throughout the year, whether it’s in operation or not. Just as dust and debris can clog air filters, heating units can also become clogged and cause your furnace to work poorly, or not at all. Before busting out the vacuum to suck up debris, use a soft tipped brush to gently wipe the inner components. This will loosen dirt and debris without damaging the furnace’s interior.
- Schedule professional services: If you’re a homeowner who is not comfortable performing seasonal maintenance on your furnace, then the best option is to call a professional and schedule a service appointment.
Would you like an expert to look over your furnace? Call All Brands Heating & Cooling to book a time for HVAC repair in Kalamazoo, MI!
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