Maintaining a furnace may appear simple, but there are numerous factors to consider. We’ll go through a few of the most crucial ones here.
Filter
If you have a furnace, your filter will need to be cleaned on a regular basis to eliminate dirt, dust, and other debris. Check to see whether you may reuse your filter. Plastic-like materials are widely used in reusable filters, and they should be marked as such. Replaceable/disposable filters for furnaces are available online, but also at hardware stores if your filter is not reusable. To clean a reusable filter, carefully remove it, run it underwater, then hang it to dry. When you’re finished, your filter should be clean and ready to be used again. Never remove the furnace filter while it is still running and check that the furnace is switched off before you begin.
Blower Motor
The blower motor in your furnace is in charge of circulating air around your home; it blows the air heated by your furnace through the vents to guarantee that your home achieves the temperature set by the thermostat. A burning smell coming from the vents (or the furnace itself) is a sign that your furnace’s blower motor isn’t working. You may also hear weird noises coming from your furnace. If any of these indicators appear, we recommend that you turn off the power and contact a professional to help you with the problem. You put your safety in danger if you don’t know what you’re doing so it’s better to call help.
Remove Flammable Objects
To keep your heating and cooling system in good working order, it must be cleaned and serviced on a regular basis, just like any other system. At the start of each season, take a short walk around. Are there any dirt, pet hair, dust, or paper scraps in the floor registers? Anything that gets inside the vents can make its way down into the ducting, reducing efficiency. Remove any stains that may have formed around the floor registers and clean them. Anything that could catch fire should be totally removed from the furnace’s vicinity.
Vents Cleaning
It is critical to keep your furnace clean in order to ensure that your home is heated efficiently. You can clean your furnace vents yourself, though, if you want to save money. Turn off the switch if you have a gas furnace, and make sure the burner is turned off if you have an oil furnace. Turn off the power to the furnace if it’s an electric furnace. Prepare your cleaning supplies, which should include a vacuum cleaner, tape, a brush, and a cleaning solution. Remove the air vent covers and grills by unscrewing them. Vacuum the vents to remove any dirt or dust that may have accumulated inside. Spray it with the solution, brush it off, then vacuum afterward.
Gas Leak
Control shutoffs on gas furnaces and heaters help prevent gas leaks, but they aren’t foolproof. If you smell gas in your home, don’t switch on or off any lights, and don’t try to turn off the gas to your furnace. Get out of the house and phone the gas company or the fire department to report a leak as soon as possible. Re-enter your house with caution. A plug-type door covers the pilot light assembly on some gas furnaces and heaters. Pull the door out of the furnace housing to obtain access to the pilot burner. Remove the panel that covers the pilot and gas burners on other models. The pilot light controls, reset buttons, gas valves, and thermocouples are often housed in a front-of-the-furnace unit. On the upper housing of the furnace, the furnace limit switch is positioned on the plenum or main duct junction.
How to Relight the Pilot Light
The pilot light of a furnace is normally controlled by a knob at the bottom of the device. Three settings are usually marked on the knob:
- Pilot
- On
- Off
Look in your furnace’s manual for a schematic that shows where the pilot light and to reset switch are located if you can’t find them easily. Check the manufacturer’s website online if you can’t find the physical handbook.
To turn the device off, turn the handle all the way to the “Off” position. It’s crucial to wait a few minutes after turning off the pilot before trying to relight it. Allow gas to flow to the pilot by turning the knob to “Pilot.” Light a match or a lighter, then press the reset button and hold the flame close to the entrance of the pilot setting. Press the reset button repeatedly until the pilot light remains steady, then let go of the button. Your furnace should fire up automatically once you’ve re-lit the pilot light and released the reset button.
You should not ignore the maintenance that your furnace requires on a regular basis. There are other requirements to consider, and we hope that we were able to assist you with some of the upkeep requirements.
