Understanding Your Furnace’s Maintenance Requirements
All furnaces require yearly maintenance to prevent issues and keep them working effectively. Without maintenance, your furnace will likely need more repairs and have a much shorter lifespan. Maintenance is also important for the energy efficiency of your furnace and will help to keep your heating costs lower. With all this in mind, here is a quick overview of what is involved with maintaining your furnace.
Air Filter Replacement
Replacing the air filter is one of the most important steps for maintaining your furnace and ensuring it continues to function well, and it is also the only maintenance task you should do on your own. It’s best to change the air filter at the start of the heating season and then at least once more during the winter as the filter should always be replaced every one to three months. If you don’t replace the filter often enough, it will start to clog and greatly reduce how much heat your furnace produces. This means your furnace will start running longer, using more energy and experiencing more wear and tear.
What Professional Furnace Maintenance Involves
In addition to replacing your furnace filter regularly, you should also have your furnace professionally serviced at the start of each heating season. When maintaining a furnace, the technician will inspect all the components to ensure the unit works safely and doesn’t need any repairs. They will also clean the components including the flame sensor, burners, furnace blower, etc. The technician will also inspect the wiring, make sure all electrical connections are tight and check that the thermostat is calibrated properly and working correctly.
Cleaning and testing the flame sensor is important as it can prevent the furnace from ever staying on for more than a few seconds if it gets too dirty or malfunctions. The burners also need to be cleaned yearly or else the ports can become clogged, which will lead to the gas not fully combusting and the furnace producing far less heat. Cleaning the blower is important for ensuring it can move air through the system properly, which helps to ensure that the heating system works effectively and reduces the chances of the blower or furnace overheating.
With more than 35 years of experience, Fritch Heating & Cooling, Inc. is the best choice for furnace maintenance in Peoria. Our certified technicians service all furnace brands and models, and we’re available 24/7 for all your emergency repair needs. Contact us to schedule a maintenance or service call so you can be certain your furnace heats effectively all winter long.