Owning a house comes with the responsibility of regular maintenance for furniture and appliances to prolong their life span and to allow them to remain functional. It is important that you know how to take care of your home and make sure that it operates efficiently and effectively. This process will save you money in the long run, and make sure that your family is safe, especially when maintaining the furnace. Most people who have a furnace in their homes don’t know how often they should clean it. Here are a few tips for performing maintenance work on your gas furnace.
What Causes Faulty Gas Furnace
The most common reason for a faulty gas furnace would be a dirty filter. You can easily prevent a bigger issue by regularly changing your filters. In general, people who own gas furnaces will change their filters every two to three months, and do thorough cleaning at least once a year. It would be best to clean your gas furnace during the warm and dry season, where you won’t be needing the furnace to heat your place.
How Would You Clean It?
As a homeowner, it is possible to clean your furnace by yourself, but before you start cleaning your furnace, you need to consider some safety measures, such as turning off the gas, wearing proper protective gear, and having the proper tools and equipment for cleaning. When you are set to do the job, clean the exterior of the furnace first, then vacuum the interior. You also need to clean the blower, the pilot light, igniter, and flame sensor. It is important that you have to replace the belts, oil, and air filters.
If cleaning your gas furnace seems a lot of work for you, you may hire a professional contractor to provide furnace cleaning and all the maintenance works. Hiring a professional contractor will save you time and prevent any wrong methods of cleaning that can harm your furnace.
You also need to consider cleaning your furnace ducts. Bridge City Duct Cleaning recommends checking and cleaning your ducts every two years to prolong its life. This is also an important step in furnace cleaning to ensure good air quality and optimal performance from the gas furnace. If you have pets or a member of your family is prone to allergies, you need to clean the ducts more often.
Time for Repairs
Regular maintenance on your gas furnace is imperative to keep it working in good condition, but you may need to have it repaired if you notice these signs:
- There is water pooling around your gas furnace
- There are sounds of bangs, scrapes, or thumps when it is running
- There is an evident smell of gas or other strange smell when you turn on your furnace
- You need to turn your thermostat high for heat or it suddenly stops working
- The gas furnace produces cold air
- Your monthly utility bill surges up
Importance of Cleaning Your Furnace
You need your gas furnace to provide heat for your home, especially during the cold season. A gas furnace can easily accumulate dust, dirt, and other particulate debris and matter. To prevent the spread of these harmful debris, it is important that you regularly clean your gas furnace. It is better to avoid any cause of health problems such as colds and other viruses that can be fatal to some people.
Gas furnaces that have poor maintenance decreases the indoor air quality which can spike any allergies present from a family member. Aside from health problems, it would cost you more money to repair if there’s no regular maintenance completed.
