Furnace Maintenance Keeps Your Equipment Working Properly And Safely Throughout The Winter
It's a good idea to hire a furnace maintenance company to clean and service your equipment. It's always important to keep up with maintenance on any type of equipment you have in a home, but it's especially important for a furnace since it could become a safety hazard if it isn't kept clean and in proper working order.
Plus, you don't want your furnace to break down in the middle of winter since that could put your family in danger, too. Here are a few key aspects of furnace maintenance.
Keep The Filter Clean
The furnace filter might need to be changed if you use your furnace every day. If you don't change it when needed, a mat of dust builds up, and that restricts airflow through your furnace. That could also get the inside of your furnace dusty so other parts don't operate properly.
A dirty filter is a common cause of furnace malfunctions, and the problems it causes can be prevented by doing something as simple as putting a new filter in. This is a maintenance task you can do yourself. However, if you want to change the style of your filter so it removes more dust and allergens, you may want to talk to a furnace technician first to make sure the type of filter you choose won't restrict airflow through your furnace.
Maintain The Blower Area
The blower in the furnace is a cage fan that also runs during the summer when you use your air conditioner. That means the blower can be dusty or dirty already when you turn the furnace on in the winter. The blower fan has the job of moving air through your furnace and blowing it through the ducts and into your home.
When you have a furnace maintenance visit, the technician checks the blower to see if it's dirty. If so, they'll scrub it to remove grime and dust. They'll also look over the parts that make the blower fan work, such as the capacitor, blower motor, and wiring. If any parts are damaged, they can be repaired or replaced before winter sets in and you rely on your furnace to keep you warm.
Inspect The Combustion Area
Some important parts of the combustion area include the heat exchanger, burners, flame sensor, and ignitor. These parts are vulnerable to soot buildup, so it's important they are inspected and cleaned if needed. If soot builds up on the flame sensor, your furnace may stop working.
In addition, parts in the combustion area need to be checked for damage. Since the area gets hot when the furnace kicks on and then cools off when the furnace shuts off, the metal parts of the furnace expand and contract, which could lead to cracking when your furnace is older. A crack could potentially let carbon monoxide leak out, so making sure the combustion area is in good repair is important.
For more information, contact a company like American Services.