A clean furnace will operate as intended and warm your home safely and efficiently. Keeping your furnace clean will keep you and your family comfortable, but will also extend its life to keep you warmer longer. It also lowers the chances of expensive repairs down the line as an added bonus. Regularly cleaning your furnace is something you can do by following these eight steps.
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8 Steps to Follow When You Clean a Furnace
1. Deactivate the Power & Gas
The first step in cleaning your furnace is safety. Before cleaning anything, turn off the power to the
furnace. If your unit is connected to natural gas, shut that off as well. Only continue with the next
steps once you’re certain that everything is off.
2. Clean the Outside
Part of ensuring a functioning furnace is keeping the furnace’s exterior clean, too. Dust or
debris on the pipes that feed into your furnace can cause issues. Prevent this by cleaning the
exterior of any ducts, pipes, or electrical conduit that lead to the furnace with a vacuum cleaner
brush attachment. A feather duster can clean more delicate objects like electrical connections.
3. Wash the Blower Motor
The next step to follow when cleaning your furnace is to wash the blower motor. Take off the metal panel and remove the blower from the main unit. To clean the blades, use a stiff brush and warm soapy water.
4. Clean the Heat Exchanger
A furnace turns cool air into hot air using a heat exchanger. This important piece needs to be
properly cleaned to ensure the furnace functions properly. Do another safety check to ensure it is completely cooled off before cleaning. Then use a stiff brush to dust off any debris.
5. Check the Air Filter
A dirty air filter can cause suboptimal efficiency. A reusable filter can be cleaned of dust or debris. A
disposable filter can simply be replaced with a new one.
6. Inspect & Clean the Flame Sensor
The flame sensor is a small metal rod typically on the right side of the furnace. The next step to follow when you are cleaning your furnace is to remove the flame sensor and use a cloth to eliminate dirt or debris.
7. Check the Drive Belt Tension
Check that tension on the blower unit belt deflects between ½ inch to ¾ inch. While inspecting the tension, ensure the belt has no frays or cracks. Frays or cracks in the belt will result in lower tensions and the furnace performance will suffer.
8. Lubricate
Lastly, add 2-3 drops of light machine oil to the blower motor unit and the shaft bearing.
Furnace Tune-Up Services
If you are having issues with a damaged furnace, Gold Medal Services is here to help. Our licensed technicians offer reliable furnace tune-up and furnace installation services to homes in New Jersey and New York.Hiring a licensed technician to perform a tune-up can help extend the life of your furnace. A tune-up also ensures proper efficiency, prevents breakdowns, and most importantly keeps you and your family safe.
If you are experiencing any of the following, it might be a sign to hire a technician for a furnace tune-up service.
- High utility bills
- Your home isn’t heating effectively
- There is poor indoor air quality
- You hear unusual sounds from the furnace
- Worsening allergies or asthma symptoms
We offer dependable furnace repair and maintenance services to homeowners in your area. During your tune-up, the technicians at Gold Medal Services will:
- Inspect the flame sensor
- Perform a combustion audit
- Perform a heat exchange audit
- Clean the gas burners
- Evaluate the igniter
- Inspect the condensate lines
- Analyze the internal static pressure
- Inspect the gas pressure
Your tune-up includes inspecting all the furnace parts and cleaning filters to ensure efficiency. At Gold Medal Service, we recommend getting your furnace cleaned annually.
Schedule Your Tune-Up Today
When it’s time for your furnace tune-up, the team at Gold Medal is here for you. Our technicians provide exceptional heating repair services in Brick, NJ and other areas. For over 24 years, our heating technicians have been the ones families trust to get their furnaces cleaned and operating efficiently. Call (732) 638-4317 or schedule an appointment online today.
