Maintaining Your Furnace

September marks the start of fall and the time has come to prepare for winter. Furnace inspection and air filter change should be on everyone's checklist of fall household chores to do.

While many of us don't mind buying and installing the new air filter, most people feel better hiring a HVAC professional to do all the inspection, adjusting, and replacing. Here is a checklist of what your furnace needs.

Heat Exchanger - Inspect for cracks & deterioration that can develop with age. These cracks can emit toxic fumes.
Burners - Remove and clean dirty burners, which can cause poor combustion, soot, condensation, and will shorten the life of the furnace.
Fan Switch - Check and adjust the fan switch. If not properly adjusted this can waste energy and cause fan cycling.
Pilot and Pilot Assembly - Clean and adjust weak or dirty pilots that could cause the furnace to shut down.
Safety Controls - Inspect the safety controls. Faulty controls can cause dangerous problems.
Gas Line - Check for possible gas leaks from the furnace shut off valve to the burners.
Combustion Air Openings - Check these. Blocked or restricted combustion air openings can be dangerous.
Flue Pipe - Inspect flue pipe for corrosion or leaks that could be dangerous.
Temperatures and Performance - A record of vital data can indicate potential problems that can be eliminated before becoming serious.
Panels - Secure loose panels that can increase operating costs and cause either a shutdown or a dangerous condition.
Controls and Safeties – Inspect and test controls and safeties that do not function properly. These can increase operation costs and cause other components to fail.
Lubrication – Apply to motors and bearings. Improperly lubricated rotating equipment will eventually fail.
Belts and Pulleys – Inspect and adjust loose belts and worn pulleys that will decrease air flow, increase operating costs and shorten the compressor’s life. Belts will crack and break with age.
Air Filter – Replace filter. A restricted air filter can cause your unit to waste energy and shorten the compressor’s life.
Voltage and Amperage – Check the blower motor, compressor and condenser fan motors. Improper voltage and amps increase operating costs and can shorten the life of any motor.
Thermostat – Check and calibrate thermostats which can cause the unit to run longer than necessary.
Lastly, vacuum dust and debris carefully from the cabinet with a hose.

There, one thing crossed off the list. Sit back and relax.