As the top HVAC company in Colorado Springs, Polar Bear Mechanical is passionate about helping community members better understand all of the components of their HVAC systems, including furnaces. In an effort to help you better understand how to properly take care of your furnace, our team has written a blog detailing furnace maintenance and why it’s important. Properly maintaining your furnace helps ensure you can avoid costly furnace repairs in the future. With over 40 years of experience in the HVAC industry, we’ve seen the costly effects of people neglecting their furnace. Without proper furnace maintenance, you risk suddenly having no heat on a cold winter day, or needing to repair your entire HVAC system.
Importance Of Furnace Maintenance
Regular furnace maintenance is important for many reasons. Furnace maintenance gives your HVAC technician an opportunity to make sure your furnace is operating properly. Over time, it’s common for debris to accumulate in your furnace and negatively affect its performance. During maintenance appointments, your HVAC technician will remove any buildup to help ensure your furnace is in peak condition. Regular furnace maintenance can even extend the lifespan of your furnace. Properly maintained furnaces usually function efficiently between 15 and 20 years.
Regular furnace maintenance means you’re getting an annual furnace tune-up. It’s best to schedule your furnace tune-up before the winter, especially in Colorado Springs, so that your furnace is in tip-top shape before you begin to use the heater more frequently. Furnace tune-ups can also help prevent frozen pipes and water damage, which can lead to costly repairs.
Furnace Maintenance And Your Family’s Health
When it comes to distributing air throughout your home, furnaces play an important role. When your furnace is dirty or has a component that needs to be repaired, it makes it much harder for your HVAC system to remove harmful contaminants from your air supply. These contaminants include pet dander, mold, viruses, dust mites and allergens. When these particles circulate throughout your home, it affects the quality of your indoor air and can even make certain members of your family ill.
What Is Done During A Furnace Tune-Up?
During your furnace tune-up, your HVAC technician will meticulously inspect all of the components of your furnace to check for any damage. A safety check will also be performed to make sure you don’t have a gas leak. To ensure your furnace is working properly, some of the things that may take place during your furnace tune-up include:
- Inspection Of Your Pilot Light
- Cleaning Your Furnace’s Blower
- Checking Wire Connections
- Adjusting Furnace Burners
- Inspection Of The Heat Exchanger
- Making Sure The Flame Sensor Is Operating Correctly
- Examining Your Thermostat
- Removing Any Furnace Build-Up
- Calibrating Your Furnace
- Identifying Any Components That Need Repair
What Is A Furnace Inspection?
HVAC technicians perform furnace inspections to visually check for any signs of corrosion, leaks or poor ventilation. There are two times when furnace inspections are performed. The first is after an HVAC technician installs a furnace, a third-party inspector will make sure the furnace was installed properly. Furnace inspections are also completed by HVAC technicians during annual furnace tune-ups.
Furnace Cleaning
Another important aspect of properly maintaining your furnace is having it professionally cleaned. A professional furnace cleaning should be performed during your furnace tune-up. During this time, your HVAC technician should clean the following components:
- The Flame Sensor
- If your flame sensor is dirty, it can prevent your furnace from knowing when it should start running.
- Furnace Plenums
- Most furnaces have two plenum boxes. One is fitted to the supply side and one is fitted to the return air side. Your HVAC technician should clean these and make sure there’s no debris present that may prevent air from flowing through your HVAC system.
- Your Furnace Cabinet
- It’s pretty common for furnace cabinets to collect dust over time. If your furnace cabinet goes a long time without being properly cleaned, that dust can begin to inhibit your furnace from working properly.
Schedule A Furnace Maintenance Appointment With Polar Bear Mechanical
Regular furnace maintenance is an important part of making sure your furnace runs efficiently for as long as possible. Whether you have a commercial furnace or a residential furnace, regular maintenance is the best way to help prevent unnecessary damage and repairs. It doesn’t matter if you have a new furnace or have had one for over a decade, every furnace requires regular maintenance.
During your furnace maintenance appointment, our team will discuss our findings with you so you can knowledgeably make any decisions regarding your furnace. If you’d like to learn more about furnace maintenance, or want to schedule a furnace maintenance service with our HVAC specialists, make sure to call Polar Bear Mechanical today!
