Tips For Furnace Maintenance
As always most furnace manufactures and
heating contractors will
recommend having your home furnace checked by a qualified service
technician prior to each heating season. A qualified hvac service
man will have the experience and proper test interments to check
things that you as a home owner may not, there for if you can afford
it I agree this should be done.
This article is simply some tips that your average home owner can do
to prevent problems though out the heating season. Any time your
dealing with a furnace and natural or propane gas extreme caution
must be taken. One important thing to remember is not to do anything
to your furnace unless you have the power and gas shut off to it.
Testing the furnace while it is running should only be done by
qualified heating service technician.
First and the most apparent is replacing the air filter. I recommend
using a quality pleated type filter. You may have to cross the type
of filter you have to find a equivalent replacement. Most type of
filters should at least be inspected monthly, some higher quality
filters may last much longer depending on the type of atmosphere and
the type of filter.
All
high efficiency furnaces will have some type of drain trap and
drain hose. Blockage in the furnaces drain system is one of the more
common reasons for no heat calls. Try to remove and clean the drain
trap and blow out all drain lines. House hold bleach can be poured
through the drain lines to kill bacteria that will grow into a slime
and restrict condensate flow.
Inspect the intake and exhaust pvc furnace pipes out side the house
to be sure trees and shrubs have not over grown into them. If
possible remove the air intake and exhaust pipe at the furnace and
check for leaves or other things that may have gotten into these
pipes. This is another very common problem that occurs in many
heating systems.
Visually inspect wire connections for being lose or shorted. Inspect
factory plug harness connections to be sure they are securely
plugged together. You can vacuum out the inside burner and blower
compartments to prevent this dirt from getting into your burners and
blower motor. Some blower motors require oiling and some do not.
Oiling both sides of the blower motor may need to be done by a
technician as the blower assembly typically needs to be removed.
As far as cleaning the burners and inspecting the heat exchanger I
again recommend having a qualified service technician do this. You
will also want to have him clean the flame sensor. Many people
mistake the Igniter for the flame sensor and end up breaking it.
Your service technician should also check safeties such as limit
controls and pressure switches.
There may not seem like a lot you can do your self but being
educated on your heating system may save you a service call some
day. When you do have a technician at your home be sure and ask as
many questions about your system as possible. Knowing how your
system is supposed to function may keep you from having to call
someone next time there is a problem.
Information by Terry Manlick at HVAC
Maintenance & Supplies www.mainsupplies.com
This artical and other hvac maintenace related articals can be read
at HVAC Maintenance & Supplies. HVAC Maintenance related products
such as air filters,V-belts, humidifier filters and coil cleaners
can be purchased online at
http://www.mainsupplies.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Manlick
If you are looking
for a Charlotte Heating Contractor please call
us today at 704-933-5262 or complete our
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form.
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