In the winter months, your heating system is essential to the functioning of your home. Replacing a furnace costs thousands of dollars, but don’t worry, there are thing you can do to increase the life of your furnace for years to come. Routine maintenance will guarantee the longevity of your system while avoiding future repairs and damages. Here are 5 quick and easy maintenance tips on how to keep your heater in top shape.
Clean the Filter
This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to keep your furnace working properly. Many homeowners forget that you should be cleaning your air filter at least once a month. If you just realized it’s been a year since you last cleaned your air filter, don’t panic, the sooner you start the better!
Dust and dirt particles get caught in air filters that will eventually cause many issues with the performance of your heating system. To clean your furnace filter, simply turn your furnace off, take the filter out, rinse it with water, wait for it to dry completely, and return the filter to the heater.
CO Detectors
It is extremely important that every home with a gas furnace has a working CO detector. Gas furnaces burn carbon monoxide that, while uncommon, can leak into your home if the heat exchanger is broken or damaged. This can be especially dangerous as carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, making it impossible to identify without a proper detection system.
Check Your Air Registers
When testing out your furnace for the first time in months, make sure to check the air registers around your home. Any closed or blocked air registers will force your home to be unevenly heated and eventually affect the efficiency of your furnace.
If you notice that all of your air registers are open and you still don’t feel like your home is being properly heated, call a licensed heating and air professional to take a look at your air ducts and furnace.
Check Your Pilot Light
In many older furnaces, a small and continuously burning flame called a “pilot light” is used to ignite the burners when turning on your furnace. It should be a light to dark shade of blue, but, if you notice the flame is a different color or gone completely, you should immediately call Morrison Plumbing, Heating, and Air to identify the issue.
Almost all modern furnaces have an electric ignition that can be turned off and on with an electric igniter.
Clean the Furnace Frequently
Make sure the area surrounding the furnace is clean and not being blocked by any objects or debris. Frequently sweep around the furnace, especially if you have pets, to get rid of any dust and dandruff that could make it way into the air filter and vents.
