What Furnace Maintenance Do I Need To Do?

It always amazes me that people often times do not know what kind of maintenance needs to be done to the various working parts of their home.  When you sign on the dotted line when you get your mortgage, they should also hand you a guide to home maintenance.  Like everything else in your life, your furnace needs to be maintained for it to work at its optimal level.  If you do not do regular furnace maintenance, you will be looking a possibly pricey furnace repair in your future.

One of the easiest things you can do for furnace maintenance is change your filter.  There are many different types of filters on the market.  You just need to find one that fits your needs and fits your furnace. Why is a furnace filter so important? If your filter is clogged, the furnace has to work harder to get the proper amount of warm air to your house. This in turn will cost you more in heating costs! If you have allergies, they have a filter for that! They even have reusable furnace filters.

Every year (or two) you should have an experienced furnace technician to check out your entire system. They will check for lose wires and make sure everything is in working order. Checks will include checking the operation of burner, inspecting the heat exchanger, checking the blower, inspecting the wiring for cracks or loose connections, etc. Think of this as a wellness check (like you get on your kids!) for your furnace. Your furnace technician may find an issue with a part you had no idea was even broken. Better to fix when it is warm out than when it is 20 below zero and the middle of the night (because that is when your furnace will break!).

Do you have a carbon monoxide detector? Once a year, make sure you are checking your battery in this. A carbon monoxide detector going off can be the first indication to you that there is something wrong with your furnace. It can also save your life.

Do you have a programmable thermostat?  You may not think this falls into maintenance, but if you don’t have one, your thermostat may also be causing you issues.  You need to make sure that your older thermostats are level and working correctly.

How are you maintaining your furnace? The little things you can do for furnace maintenance can save you big money in the long run on not needing furnace repairs!