As a homeowner, it’s your duty to make sure that all of the major installations and systems in your home are getting the attention and service they need. If one of your appliances breaks down, you have it fixed; if your roof needs work done, you hire someone to do it; if your plumbing starts acting up, you work to fix the problem, and so on.
Dealing with your furnace is no different: it requires annual maintenance to stay functional. In order to prevent breakdowns, malfunctions and safety hazards, you’re going to need to stay up to date on necessary, routine needs of your furnace, which means taking the time to get to know exactly what those needs are.
Take a look at five simple items that should be on your checklist for furnace maintenance in Polk County, TN and why they’re essential in keep your home comfortably heated and safe this winter
season:
- Changing your furnace filter is about the easiest thing you can do each year and doing so will have a profound impact on the function of your furnace. Cleaner air, fewer debris, less of a chance fire and more all come with a new furnace filter and best of all, a new filter is going to cost you less than the price of a pair of shoes.
- Inspect your flue pipe to make sure there are no cracks or holes where escaping gasses could exit into your home. This is instrumental in making sure that carbon monoxide buildups don’t occur, which can be deadly. If you do find damage to your flue pipe, be sure to call a professional to come and service it right away—until you do, refrain from using your furnace!
- Having your burners adjusted will help you to increase the efficiency of your furnace— especially when you consider that it’ll be pumping heated air into your living space each and every day. Even older systems can be attuned to a higher degree of efficiency with a quick burner adjustment! This is best left to a professional who can measure your furnace’s efficiency quantitatively.
- Give your blower assembly a good cleaning, to remove any dust, debris or buildups that may be hindering the operation of this critical component. This can and should be done when you’re placing the furnace filter as well, to make sure you’re getting the most debris out of your furnace.
- Lubricate the motor and fan belt of your furnace to make sure that these critical components are operating without friction, which is a major killer of furnaces. Light lubrication will do—don’t overdo it!
By just taking the time to do the five things listed above, you’ll be well on your way to experiencing a better quality of life when relying on your furnace this winter. Furnace maintenance in Polk County, TN is a critical part of being a homeowner—make sure you’re not skimping on it!