Your furnace requires regular servicing if you want it to function properly during the cold months of the year.
This is crucial not only from a cost-saving perspective, but also from a health perspective.
Over time, your furnace deteriorates due to the build-up of rust and dust, along with natural wear and tear.
Ignoring these factors will eventually lead to costly repairs and increase your monthly gas and energy bills.
Apart from that, a regular inspection helps you detect and fix carbon monoxide leaks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly suggests inspecting your furnace regularly to prevent the buildup of carbon monoxide that’s harmful for you and your family.
You will need to perform regular maintenance for your furnace; the only question now is how frequently you should go about it.
The Best Time to Have Your Furnace Checked
Experts have varying opinions about furnace maintenance. For many, a furnace checkup should be performed at least once a year.
You may have to pay at least $100 to a certified technician who will check your furnace and perform a tune-up, but seeing the impracticality of buying a new furnace each time, you are much better off improving the longevity of your current system.
The best time to perform furnace maintenance is during the spring. You will need to check if the winter months were hard on your system.
Certain parts may have become damaged or overused, so it would be best to have these replaced early during the current year.
That way, you won’t have to worry about inadequate heating when the winter season rolls by.
It is also possible to have your furnace checked during the fall.
In case you haven’t tuned up your system during the spring, your last chance to do any maintenance work would be around September.
This provides you with a wide enough window for replacing worn-down parts and improving the efficiency of your system.
Regardless of which of these seasons you think is best for a furnace check-up, annual maintenance is necessary for ensuring that your home is prepared for the winter.
After all, you may be required to perform annual maintenance to keep your warranty valid.
What to Do During Furnace Checkup?
Maintaining your furnace requires several essential activities. Firstly, there is the task of cleaning out anything that’s blocking the vents.
It’s also important to get rid of debris or rust that is blocking the air intake system.
The same goes for the heat exchanger and wiring. You may need to replace it in case of severe corrosion.
On top of that, you may also need to check your drainage system for any debris.
If there is some water in the condensate trap, you should drain it out. Next, the burners will need to be checked if they ignite properly.
Removing dirt should help with optimizing heat since debris buildup often results in severe blockage.
Have a technician look into your gas lines to check for any leaks or damage.
Carbon monoxide should also be detected early on to prevent buildup. Cracks to the supply pipes and blocked filters can also lead to leaks.
Carbon monoxide can also leak through damaged gaskets and other openings.
You will need to install a carbon monoxide detector to help you find leaks and perform repairs immediately.
Can You DIY Furnace Maintenance?
Maintaining your furnace requires technical know-how and experience.
With that being said, it would be best to have a contractor handle everything.
That way, you won’t have to spend time learning how to dismantle certain parts.
Then again, there are some simple maintenance tasks you can do on your own.
For one, it doesn’t take much to replace or clean out filters.
You can also wipe the flame sensor with an emery cloth, add lubricant to the bearings, and close up leaky ducts.
There is a learning curve to all this, but taking the time to learn how to take your furnace apart and make quick repairs can save you a few extra dollars and ensure the efficiency of your heating system.
Whether you are hiring a contractor or doing it yourself, regular furnace maintenance is definitely worth the time and money.
After all, doing it at least once a year should help keep your home warm for as long as the furnace is performing optimally.
