Prevent a Crisis - This Year, Tune Up Your Heater

Posted by Bryant on March 28th, 2021

Don't get overlooked in the cold! A little maintenance and attention now can keep your furnace downing away all winter long.

Don't wait till temperatures plummet: Now is the outright best time to perform basic furnace cleaning and upkeep. By tuning up your heating device, you can conserve the time and money that may have had to go into resolving a crisis-- and naturally, you can prevent the trouble (and downright threat) of leaving your family without heat during the coldest part of the year. Also, by performing these extremely basic heater cleaning and maintenance jobs, you can actually extend the life of your heater and coax it into operating at optimum energy efficiency. Follow these steps now to keep the unit in good shape through the winter.

Combustion Chamber

Prior to doing anything else, cut both the electrical power and fuel supply to the furnace. Achieve the former by toggling the on-off turn on the system itself. To do the latter, very first find the fuel shutoff valve. (Depending on your fuel source-- oil or gas-- the valve needs to either be near the oil tank or on the incoming gas pipeline.) Next, get rid of the door to the combustion chamber and continue to vacuum the interior. Examine the chamber for holes developed by corrosion. If you discover any, make sure to cover them with foil tape.

Blower Compartment

Take off the door to the blower compartment and completely vacuum within. As you performed in the combustion chamber, appearance here-- and in the exhaust flue-- for holes. Cover any holes with foil tape before changing the door. Perform the very same inspection on all ductwork, including the return duct, covering if required.

Heater Filter

Fundamental furnace filters are designed to trap dust, dirt, and airborne particulates before they can go into the heating system and possibly harm its elements. During heating season, tidy or replace the heating system filter each to 3 months (some filters can be cleaned up, while others can't). Keep in mind that due to the fact that today's houses are so tightly sealed, most indoor air distributes through the HEATING AND COOLING system. Because of that, it's normally beneficial to spend a bit more on a heating system filter that not just secures the home appliance itself, however also boosts air quality by trapping bacteria and pollen in addition to mildew and mold spores. If yours is an oil-fired furnace, keep in mind to replace the oil filter as well as the air filter; the oil filter ought to be changed yearly.

Motor Bearings

Lots of older heaters have 2 motor bearings and 2 blower-shaft bearings. Both sets need to be oiled a minimum of as soon as per year. furnace companies calgary Start by utilizing a clean fabric to clean the caps over the bearings. Next, get rid of the caps and apply 2 or three drops of light-weight machine oil to each bearing, taking care not to over lubricate. Finish by restoring the caps to their original positions.

Hire a Pro?

Although standard furnace upkeep can be handled by a lot of house owners, there are some circumstances in which it just makes sense to work with a professional-- for example, if you've observed the heating system rumbling and can't determine why. Any of the listed below situations generally call for a consultation with a HEATING AND COOLING pro.

- Extreme soot: If in the course of cleaning up the combustion chamber you see that an extreme amount of soot has actually built up, that suggests that the burners require modification or that the heat exchanger need to be replaced. Employ a pro to diagnose and repair the issue.

- Irregular flame: The pilot burner flame need to be blue, not yellow. If yours is faint or irregular, it can be an indication of dirty burners or a broken heat exchanger. Once again, employ a pro to identify and repair the problem. The risks included make such work ill-advised for do-it-yourselfers.

- Brief cycling: Is your heating system running for a short amount of time only to turn off unexpectedly? That's understood as "short cycling" and might be brought on by an out-of-whack thermostat or an overheating exchanger. Retain the services of a professional to investigate and solve the problem.

Keeping your heating system can help warm your house this winter.