What Kind of Furnace Maintenance should I be performing on my unit?
After purchasing and installing a new furnace, it is important to know what kind of furnace maintenance you should be performing on the unit. Furnace maintenance is essential to protecting the investment you just made in a new heating system, keeping it operational and performing at its highest levels for as long as possible.
The two most important furnace maintenance steps homeowners should be performing on their units are furnace filter changes and preventative maintenance tune-ups.
What kind of furnace maintenance should I be performing on my unit? Furnace filter changes.
Changing the furnace filter is a step every homeowner should take regularly to properly care for their heating system. A clean air filter allows air to circulate through the system efficiently, helping the furnace operate properly while also removing contaminants.
If furnace filters are not replaced on a regular basis, air flow is restricted through the heating system. This causes a range of issues, including:
- Ineffective comfort control in the home
- System overheating
- Stress on the heating system, leading to breakdowns
- Poor contaminant control, decreasing indoor air quality
Furnace filters should be changed according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. In most cases, this will be every 3 to 6 months for high-efficiency filters. Filters with lower MERV ratings may require more frequent changes. Your filter may also need to be changed more frequently during the summer or winter, when the HVAC system is used heavily.
What kind of furnace maintenance should I be performing on my unit? Preventative maintenance tune-ups.
The preventative maintenance tune-up is essential to the proper functioning and longevity of your heating system. This is not a step you perform yourself – schedule a preventative maintenance tune-up with your trusted heating and cooling professional each fall for your heating system.
During your preventative maintenance tune-up, your heating technician will perform several steps that work to improve system performance. The technician cleans and lubricates essential components so they can operate without stress, decreasing the likelihood of breakdowns and excessive energy consumption. While the entire system is serviced, the technician examines each component, looking for issues that require correction or that could cause repair needs if ignored.
By improving performance and catching system issues before they become serious, preventative furnace maintenance keeps your heating system operating at high-performance levels, increasing indoor comfort while controlling energy consumption.