Homeownership is a lot of responsibility. It’s more than just tidying up your living spaces and occasionally checking to see if everything is in working order. This is especially true when it comes to the home gas furnace. By maintaining your gas furnace, you will avoid the high costs and stress that come with emergency furnace repairs. Additionally, you will feel comfortable and confident your furnace will do its job during the colder months.
As one of the premier heating and cooling technicians in New Mexico, B&D Industries, Inc. works on many furnaces. We’ve encountered countless wimpy heaters and have met some amazing innovations. Read our article below as we discuss how you should be maintaining your gas furnace.
Make Sure You Clean or Replace Your Home Gas Furnace Filter
Your furnace filter plays a critical role in the process of delivering clean, warm air to all of the rooms in your home. A filter is installed where the return duct enters your furnace, removing particulates from the air before it reaches the appliance and is heated. A filter will remove all kinds of particles, including:
- Dust
- Dust mites
- Pollen
- Pet dander
- Bacteria
- Spores
- And more
If the airflow is blocked by a dirty air filter, the furnace will have inadequate airflow and won’t operate as efficiently as it should. Air filters should be changed anywhere from 30 to 90 days depending on their quality and state of particle build-up.
Inspect Your Blower Motor
The blower motor drives the air movement for the furnace to your entire home. In addition to providing warmth to your home, it also blows cool air for the air conditioning system.
The home gas furnace blower has a lot of working parts that must be maintained. If your blower is noisy, then that might indicate a problem with its electric motor or the blower wheel. High pitched, shrill sounds can indicate two metal surfaces are grinding against one another. This could be from the wheel coming loose from the motor’s shaft, scraping against the internal housing.
Inspect the Home Gas Furnace’s Exhaust Flue
Your natural gas furnace vents gas out of your home through a flue pipe. This is extremely important as you never want lingering gases in your home because they can leave you feeling sick or worse.
Before you turn on the heat for the season, be sure you inspect the pipe for any blockage. It’s not uncommon for critters to make the pipe their home during the off-season or for debris to fall into the pipeline.
Make Sure You Clean Your Air Ducts
Every HVAC system uses vents and air ducts to supply our homes with warmth during the colder months, and cool air during the warmer months. When the air ducts aren’t clean, they can pose a health and safety risk for people inside the home. Dirty ducts can increase the number of allergens in the air and can make your HVAC system work harder than it should. This eventually leads to higher energy bills.
With a wet cloth, clean the grills and wipe around the duct’s entrances and as far as you can reach. While you may think this is a small task for an even larger system, these small things add up and ensure your home gas furnace is working efficiently.
B&D Industries, Inc. Are Experts in All Matters of Heating and Cooling Systems
At B&D, our qualified, certified team of expert technicians is dedicated to making sure your heating and cooling systems are working as efficiently as possible – all year long. We can provide you with all of the necessary maintenance needed to keep yours running smoothly; such as preventative maintenance and repair, refrigerated air, and 24/7 emergency service for whatever heating/cooling issue may arise.
Contact us today to speak to a member of our team, or schedule an appointment online.
