No matter what brand of gas furnace you own, the owner's manual will always provide you with how often the manufacturer recommends maintenance services be performed.
How Often Should You Get a Furnace Tune Up?
Each manual may be worded differently, but they all say the same thing: the furnace should be cleaned and adjusted by a certified contractor once a year or before the start of the heating season.
Benefits of Annual Maintenance for Gas Furnaces
The automotive industry is surprisingly similar to the HVAC industry, especially when it comes to dealing with gas appliances. When it comes to considering maintenance for your gas furnace, you should think of it as being no different than an automobile in regards to the suggested oil changes and routine maintenance. Just as you shouldn’t skip a preventative maintenance service to keep your vehicle in tip-top shape, you shouldn’t skip preventative maintenance for your gas furnace or it could lead to costly future repairs.
The Correlation Between Indoor Air Quality & Regular Maintenance
Furnaces are, hands-down, the busiest and most used appliance in your home. Because of this, furnace use coincides directly with the quality of the air you breathe and the amount of various dust particles, microorganisms, hair, skin cells and/or pet dander found in your home. Excessive build-up of these particles in your furnace can affect the performance similarly to how a dirty air filter can compromise the gas mileage of your car.
Why Is Furnace Maintenance Important
When gas is burned it leaves behind a residue that builds up over time and affects the efficiency of the unit. The added weight of dust and debris on the blower will cause strain on the motor used to spin the wheel. Dirty filters starve the unit of air and can cause unusually high temperatures inside the furnace. This is a perfectly normal result of running your furnace regularly - and though some parts may take longer to get dirty, it’s inevitable. Routine cleaning of these vital areas are crucial in the proper operation of your furnace.
DIY Furnace Maintenance
Some other tips for keeping your furnace working all winter long include:
- Adjust Thermostat Settings - You should maintain a set temperature with no more than a 4 – 6 degree difference between the times when you are home and the times when you are not.
- Open Your Doors - Keep all of your bedroom and bathroom doors open. Allowing heat to get trapped in rooms will keep the home from being even-tempered.
- Open Your Vents - Make sure all of your vents are open so the whole house gets a chance to breathe so to speak.
- Check Filters - Check your filters every 1 to 3 months and replace as needed. Buy extra filters so you always have a few around.
A properly maintained furnace will not only be more reliable but will also be cheaper to operate. Do yourself and your equipment a favor and have A-TEMP Heating, Cooling & Electrical out for a Precision Tune-Up and Cleaning or sign up for our Comfort Club!
Call A-TEMP at (503) 694-3396 today or contact us online to schedule a furnace maintenance service!