3 Easy Furnace Maintenance Tips

Taking care of your furnace is essential to its productivity and longevity. Give it the best care and it will reward you with consistent comfort all season long. Neglect to maintain it on a regular basis and be prepared for a season of discomfort.

When a furnace is properly maintained, it will operate more smoothly and efficiently. This gives you optimum comfort, peace of mind and helps you save some cash in the process. Also, a heating system will run more safely if all components are routinely checked, adjusted, or lubricated. That is why a regular system tune-up is crucial to ensure your family’s comfort and safety.

Four Seasons Air Specialists is your leading heating company in North Oaks MN. We help homeowners maintain their furnaces the right way, resulting in better performance and longer equipment lifespan.

The Importance of Furnace Maintenance

It should be expected that failure to properly maintain your furnace will compromise your family’s comfort during the cold season. But what’s more alarming is that if your unit does not receive the care it needs, it puts your family at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that is linked to the deaths of 200 Americans every year and sends another 10,000 to the hospital, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

 A dirty furnace distributes carbon monoxide throughout your home, especially if you have a central air system. Even tiny little leaks in your furnace can expose you to deadly amounts of carbon dioxide. Excessive carbon dioxide in your blood is fatal.

While proper ventilation can help reduce the potency of carbon dioxide present in your indoor air, but unless your heating system is working as it should, you will still breathe in this lethal gas. The negative effects that can result from this low-level exposure include permanent brain and organ damage. If you have children or elderly at home, they are more susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning than healthy adult family members. What makes carbon monoxide poisoning insidious is that its symptoms can be easily mistaken for those of the common cold, influenza, or exhaustion.

Here are three easy steps you can take to maintain your heating system.

Be in charge of your filters.

A dirty filter blocks airflow, which adds pressure to your furnace, causing it to overheat. This should not be neglected as it can damage your furnace’s internal parts, including the heat exchanger, which is an expensive part to repair or replace.

Therefore, ensure that your furnace’s filter is regularly replaced, enabling it to have an efficient return-air system. If you have a disposable filter, change it at least once every two months. If you have a reusable one, clean it at least once per week, depending on usage. Remember that filters may need to be regularly checked if your system is constantly in use, is subject to dusty conditions, or if you have furry household pets.

Listen to your furnace.

It’s pretty easy to identify a failing piece of equipment: just listen to the sounds it creates while running. If you hear odd noises when your furnace is running, this could indicate there is something abnormal happening inside the unit. These excessively loud noises can be caused by register blockages, debris in the vents, loose fans or bolts. It is important to pinpoint the source of these noises. If you are unable to find where the sound is coming from, call a qualified technician, who is trained to diagnose such problems and apply appropriate solutions.

Give your furnace some space.

When your furnace is running, it is quite normal for the physical unit to be a little hot since it has multiple components running all at the same time. For this reason, remember to keep the area around your furnace free from anything that can affect the airflow. Make sure that an area of at least 3 feet around the unit is unobstructed. If combustible items are situated too close to the unit, a fire can start, so keep such items away from the unit.

Professional Furnace Maintenance from Four Seasons Air Specialists

Taking care of your heating system an effective way to ensure it stays in tip-top shape. For best results, have your furnace tuned-up by one of our certified HVAC professionals. We will fine-tune your unit according to the manufacturer’s specifications. We are your dependable White Bear furnace maintenance company.