Even if you live in a warm climate, you probably need a heating system for occasional chilly nights. Going without heat is tough, but it's even harder during the winter in a northern climate. You want a heating system that's dependable, and then you need to care for it properly so it won't break down.
A system that's good for all climates is a central furnace. You may prefer a gas furnace in a cold climate and an electric one in a warm area, but the furnaces work basically the same way. The furnace creates heat and distributes it through ducts to heat your home. Here are important things to know about heating system maintenance.
Plan To Have Annual Professional Maintenance
One reason to have your furnace serviced by an HVAC technician each year is to maintain the warranty. You may not realize that skipping professional maintenance can affect your warranty, but it might. Even if you like to do your own home maintenance, you'll probably want an HVAC technician to service the furnace at least once a year.
Maintenance Includes Cleaning
An important part of gas furnace maintenance is cleaning the combustion area to get rid of soot, dust, mold, and other types of debris. If parts that control the ignition of the burners, or the burners themselves, are coated in soot and dust, your furnace may not ignite. Cleaning your furnace before cold weather arrives ensures your furnace will light and fire up on the first cold night.
Both the electric and gas furnace needs to have the blower cleaned as it can accumulate dust and get difficult to spin. A blower wheel that's hard to spin might cause the motor to burn out and that causes the need for unnecessary repairs.
You Have Maintenance Responsibilities Too
You have the important job of keeping dust out of the furnace. This involves putting in a new filter as often as you're supposed to, which could be once a month. You should also dust the outside of the furnace and keep the area where the furnace is installed clean. Dust can harm your furnace if it builds up, so even though you may not know how to service parts, you can do a lot to keep your furnace in good shape just by keeping it clean.
Repairs Shouldn't Be Put Off
If you keep up with maintenance, your furnace may not break down. However, parts like the capacitor wear out quicker than others, so it's possible a part can go bad and cause your furnace to make odd noises or start malfunctioning. Call a furnace repair company as soon as your furnace malfunctions. By having prompt repairs, you might keep damage from escalating. When you take good care of your heating system, it can have a long life and need fewer major repairs.
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