Everything You Need to Know About Furnace Maintenance

If you want to stay warm this winter, you should keep your furnace in the best condition possible. With a few maintenance tips and furnace services, you can guard your furnace against needing unexpected repairs at the worst time possible. As you try to keep your furnace in great condition, check out our top six furnace maintenance tips.

1. Swap Your Furnace’s Air Filters

If you haven’t swapped out your furnace air filter recently (within the last one to three months, depending on your filter), it probably needs to be changed. A furnace filter is responsible for catching pollen, dust, and other contaminants from circulating throughout your home. As it stops these contaminants, they’ll start to build up on the filter, causing it to clog and not let air pass through efficiently. 

When air can’t pass through efficiently, your furnace will use up more energy, raise your energy bills, and provide uneven heating. Fortunately, it’s easy to swap out a filter. Just make sure an HVAC technician replaces it with a filter compatible with your furnace and that you continue to swap out the filter for a new one at the filter manufacturer’s recommended intervals.

2. Regular System Cleaning  

Cleaning the furnace is one of the most overlooked furnace maintenance practices. Since dirt and debris on your furnace will only continue to get worse, it can affect the performance of your furnace and raise the chances a part breaks. Typically, it’s best to hire an HVAC technician to clean your furnace, as they’ll know how to clean more difficult-to-reach areas and can even inspect your furnace during the cleaning to see if there’s anything that needs to be fixed.

3. Inspect Your Thermostat

Sometimes, a faulty thermostat can be the reason behind a malfunctioning furnace, as the thermostat is responsible for telling your furnace to heat your home. Before the winter, it’s a good idea to check that your thermostat is properly connected to a power source or has enough battery power. You can also have an HVAC technician determine if it is calibrated correctly and clean out any dirt that might cause it to malfunction and harm your furnace’s performance. 

4. Clean Any Drain Lines

Your furnace’s drain lines direct moisture away from the unit to keep it dry. If these lines aren’t moving water away from your furnace, debris can build up in your unit and then spread throughout your home. An uncleaned drain line can start to clog and cause the furnace to get wet, so furnace maintenance usually includes drain line cleaning.

One clear sign that your drain lines need cleaning is if you can see blockages at either end of the line. You can clean these types of blockages out with a small brush or rag, but for more extensive blockages, you’ll want to call an HVAC technician to clean out your lines safely. During their drain line cleaning appointment, they can also clean the interior of the lines and flush them out to prevent future clogs. 

5. Clean Your Vent Covers and Remove Any Obstructions

As your furnace distributes air throughout your home, it will push the air through your ductwork and out your vents. When vents are clogged or closed, the air won’t be able to enter your home, leading to uneven heating. It is okay to wipe down the registers for excess debris, as dust and debris can accumulate outside of your vents as air passes through. Besides cleaning your registers, make sure any furniture is at least 18 inches away from your vents, as furniture too close to the vents can prevent proper airflow. 

6. Hire an HVAC Technician to Inspect Your Furnace

While you can catch some issues on your own, a good furnace maintenance plan will include an annual inspection from an HVAC technician. Typically, it’s best practice to have an HVAC technician perform a comprehensive inspection of your furnace before the winter begins. With a full inspection from a qualified professional, you’ll know exactly what condition your furnace is in and know if you need to take action to fix an issue before it can cause a system failure.

Choose Bonney for Furnace Maintenance Services in Sacramento

If you’re looking for furnace services near you in Sacramento, turn to Bonney. Once you make an appointment for a furnace tune-up from our HVAC experts, you can feel confident all your furnace maintenance needs are covered. Besides offering furnace maintenance services, we can provide furnace repairs when something needs fixing, and we can even replace your furnace with a new model once it’s time to upgrade. We also offer furnace service financing and coupons, meaning our services are affordable, and we’ll work with you to find a plan to keep you within budget. Learn more about our furnace maintenance services today. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please contact us.