In these upcoming holiday months, ensuring that your home’s furnace is properly running is crucial to keeping your home warm, cozy and safe.
Follow this fall furnace maintenance checklist to learn how to stay proactive with routine preventative maintenance and keep your system up and running!
Top 3 Most Common Furnace Problems
Before you begin any preventative maintenance, it’s important to know the three most common HVAC problems:
Leaks: Leaky HVAC systems prevent your system from running correctly, ultimately forcing it to run harder than it should. Check for leaks from refrigerant lines, AC condensate lines, and heat exchangers.
Corrosion: Like leaks, corrosion will also force your HVAC system to run harder. It will also lead to a completely broken system over time, which is expensive to fix (and replace). Faulty wiring and moisture can lead to corrosion, and will generally cause your system to turn on and off on its own.
Dirt & Debris: Air filters need to be free of debris to ensure your system is running efficiently. On top of that, dirty air filters will pump dirt and allergens throughout your home, ultimately reducing air quality and clogging your HVAC system.
Your Furnace Maintenance Checklist
Knowing how often to check your furnace can prevent unforeseen expenses. Follow this furnace maintenance checklist and timeline to keep your system running smoothly year-round!
- Now:
- Ensure that the area surrounding your HVAC system is free of dirt and debris. This includes: grass, leaves, boxes, and furniture.
- Make sure there is at least 2 feet of space surrounding the perimeter of your HVAC system.
- Replace any regular air filter with a high-efficiency filter.
- Monthly:
- Check and make sure that your refrigerant lines are free of leaks.
- Seasonally:
- For 1- to 2-inch filters, replace them every 1 to 3 months. For 3- to 4-inch filters, replace them every 6 to 9 months. For 5- to 6-inch filters, replace them every 9 to 12 months.
- Shut water off to your furnace humidifier during the summer. However, turn the water on for your furnace humidifier and replace the filter during the fall.
- Yearly:
- Replace batteries in carbon monoxide monitors.
- Clean your air conditioning condensation drain with bleach
- Check if AC unit is standing on flat ground still
- Lubricate your HVAC motor and or replace fan belt for efficiency
When to Hire an HVAC Technician
Although there are many preventative measures homeowners can do on their own, HVAC systems are very complex. Routine check-ups done by a professional are beneficial to not only your system, but your wallet, too.
Depending on how old your system is, it’s usually a good idea to have a professional inspect your system twice a year.
Annual Furnace Maintenance
You can prevent costly emergency furnace repairs with annual maintenance checks. Supreme Plumbing Heating and Cooling offers annual furnace and AC maintenance service agreements to give you peace of mind; no matter the weather.
Below is what’s included in an annual furnace maintenance check:
- Cleaning burners/pilot assembly
- Inspect heat exchanger
- Check gas pressure
- Check amp draw
- Inspect and clean blower components
- Clear pressure switch tubing/condensate drain
- Inspect flue piping
- Check electrical connections
- Clean or replace the air filter
- Inspect elements/sequencers
Choosing the Right HVAC Contractor
We know it’s a big decision when choosing a contractor. Here at Supreme, we can ensure you’ll always have someone professionally trained and skilled in HVAC installation, repair and maintenance.
If you need your furnace or AC unit repaired, inspected, or even replaced, look no further than the team at Supreme! Contact us today to get started!
