Cleaning a furnace requires time and effort and is not a simple undertaking. Therefore, you should consider hiring a professional furnace cleaner at least once a year. It can be part of your annual heating maintenance visit. Other than changing the filter, which is simple, you should rely on a trained technician for more complex furnace and heating services.
Why You Should Hire a Professional Furnace Cleaner
Furnace maintenance keeps your heating unit running smoothly, safely, and efficiently. It can prevent big repairs and give your furnace a few more years of life. A thorough furnace cleaning has many benefits. We’ll now look at why you need a professional to help keep your furnace clean:
- Keep the Warranty Valid: Furnace cleanings may be required annually, depending on the warranty. Neglecting to hire a professional to clean the unit can void the warranty. Therefore, it won’t provide coverage to repair a major issue related to accumulated dirt and debris.
- Improved Efficiency: Dirty burners, sensors, blower assemblies, heat exchangers, vents, and other components cause your furnace to work harder. The more it runs, the more energy and fuel it uses. This means regular cleanings can maximize efficiency so you pay less for your monthly utility bills. Your furnace can operate in shorter, more regular cycles to provide a comfortable temperature.
- Cleaner Furnaces Burn Cleaner: Dust, debris, and carbon buildup on burners and inside the combustion chamber can contribute to the release of pollutants. A thorough cleaning removes the buildup to protect the air quality in your home and the environment in general. It can also prevent gases and fumes from building up and leaking into your home.
- A Safer Home: Dirt in ignition components, the burner assembly, and the heat exchanger can interfere with how your furnace works and create various safety hazards. A professional furnace cleaner can take steps to prevent harmful gases and particulates from contaminating your home. They can also help prevent a fire due to a poorly maintained furnace and avoid a carbon monoxide leak that you cannot see or smell but can be deadly.
- Your Furnace Can Last Longer: When they’re coated in dirt and grime, heating elements and electrical components wear out much faster, so your furnace can fail sooner. Preventative furnace maintenance, including cleaning, helps address minor issues to effectively extend your heating system’s lifespan.
- Cost Savings Over Time: An annual maintenance and cleaning service is a small expense compared to dealing with consistently higher heating bills, major repairs, and having to replace your furnace prematurely. You can potentially save thousands of dollars over the life of your heating system.
- Less Noise from Your Furnace: As your furnace starts up and runs, you can hear its rumble when you’re nearby. The unit will become louder and vibrate more if it’s not cleaned properly. A furnace cleaner eliminates the buildup that causes the system to run more loudly. They can also tighten screws and secure loose panels, pipe brackets, ducts, and other components to reduce noise.
- Remove Duct Obstructions: During a furnace cleaning, the technician should also check for and clear any duct obstructions. Air ducts and vents near your furnace can clog with dirt, soot, and even rodents. A common sign of obstructions is rooms that don’t heat as effectively as others. Proper furnace maintenance can avoid these and other issues.
- Replace the Oil Filter: A furnace professional will replace the oil filter during maintenance (if you have an oil furnace). This should be done whenever cleaning the unit. Whether the oil level gets low or sludge and grime fill the tank, the filter can get clogged. Changing the filter allows more oil to reach the furnace; the technician can also remove sludge from the tank so your furnace provides optimal heating.
What Should I Know About Changing My Furnace Filter?
Don’t wait for a professional furnace cleaner to change the air filter. Your furnace has either a disposable or cleanable filter. The product manual should identify the type, recommended size, and location. Disposable filters are pleated or non-pleated and come in Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) ratings of 1 to 16 (for most homes, a MERV 6-12 filter is sufficient).
- Changing a Disposable Filter: To change a disposable filter, turn off the furnace’s electricity, open the front panel, and slide the old filter out. When installing the new filter, note the direction of the arrow, which indicates the airflow direction. The size of the filter on the filter frame and the door must match. Also, make sure the markings align when sliding the new filter in. Then close the panel, turn the power back on, and note when you replaced the filter (the entire process should take less than 15 minutes).
- Cleaning a Washable Filter: If the furnace has a washable filter, follow the same steps to remove it. Once the filter is removed, run a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment over the media. This should remove all dust and debris, and light should once again pass through the filter. Spray a mix of mild detergent and water on the filter and then hose it off in the sink. Set the filter aside to dry before reinstalling it.
Schedule Furnace Maintenance with Trio Heating & Air
Regular furnace tune-ups and cleanings help your heating unit run more efficiently and improve safety and reliability. We specialize in maintaining gas, oil, and electric furnaces. For professional furnace maintenance in The Greater San Francisco Bay Area or anywhere in Santa Clara County or San Mateo County, call (415) 223-5096 today.