Annual Furnace Maintenance Gets Your Furnace Ready To Run Safely And Efficiently Through The Winter
Annual furnace maintenance is necessary to ensure your furnace operates safely and that it has no malfunctions that need to be repaired before winter sets in. A furnace maintenance technician will perform a number of tests, and they may service your equipment if needed. Here's a look at some things they might do.
Check Carbon Monoxide Levels
The maintenance technician may use a meter to test the carbon monoxide level in your home and in your furnace to make sure combustion gases are being vented properly. Your furnace has ports in certain areas where probes can be inserted to monitor the internal workings of the equipment.
This makes it easy to track things like carbon monoxide and furnace efficiency. However, you'll also want a carbon monoxide alarm installed for continuous monitoring of carbon monoxide levels in your home.
Check Temperature And Electronics
Your furnace may have additional ports for checking the temperature. Your technician may check the internal temperature to make sure the furnace doesn't get too hot and to make sure the air is heated properly before it's distributed through your home.
In addition, the technician might test various parts with a multimeter to make sure they're drawing the right amount of power and that they're working properly. Your furnace has a few safety mechanisms that shut the furnace down if it malfunctions, so the technician wants to test these parts to make sure your furnace will shut down if it overheats or develops another malfunction.
Look For Dust And Soot
The furnace maintenance technician will check your filter, and if it's clogged with dust, they may discuss the importance of keeping your filter clean. If dust has worked its way inside your furnace, the technician might vacuum it out. They also check for buildup in the combustion area. Soot may need to be cleaned from the area and from the burners so the combustion process works efficiently.
Dust can accumulate on the blower too, so the technician checks the blower and motor to see if it needs to be cleaned and serviced. If your blower breaks down, the heat won't be delivered to your house, so keeping the blower in good shape is important.
Offer Advice
If your furnace maintenance technician sees problems with the way you care for your furnace, they may offer advice on changes you should make to protect the equipment. For instance, the furnace should have adequate ventilation around it and the space should be kept clean and free of dust.
When you have annual furnace maintenance, the technician will probably follow a checklist of things they need to check and do. When they're finished, you'll have a copy of the checklist so you know what was done to your equipment and what shape your equipment is in. If the technician finds problems that need to be repaired, you may need to schedule a repair for another day.