Tips For Home Furnace Maintenance
As always most furnace manufactures and
Atlanta 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
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