The How And Why Of Furnace Cleaning

There are many ways that a furnace can become less efficient over time. Usually there is nothing technically wrong with your furnace; it might just need some basic maintenance and cleaning if you want it to run more efficiently. Furnaces, like any other appliance, are going to age and become less efficient, particularly if they are not taken care of. Homeowners who want to improve the efficiency of the heating system, but don't want to wait for an HVAC technician, can get started right away on some basic DIY maintenance.

Shut Down Your Furnace

First of all, if you want your furnace to be as efficient as possible, you need to clean the actual cabinet every once in a while. Cleaning a furnace cabinet is usually very easy, but many people are intimidated by the work because they don't know how to shut down the gas and electrical components. If you open your furnace cabinet, there should be a large sticker that has step-by-step shutdown instructions. If you follow these instructions, you can quickly and safely shut down your furnace. Most modern furnaces have self-igniting switches for the pilot light, so it is very easy to restart your furnace after you shut it down.

What to Clean Inside Your Furnace Cabinet

Once you have your furnace shut down, you can clean it very easily with a hose vacuum and some wet rags. Cleaning all of the dust and debris from any surface within your furnace cabinet is ultimately going to be beneficial; however, you want to focus your cleaning on a few key components. For instance, you want to make sure that the heat exchanger is clean and dust-free. This is a large set of zigzagging metal pipes that is basically responsible for creating the hot air that your furnace pumps out.

You should also look for and thoroughly clean the heat pump. This motor is easy to identify because it has a plastic box with vents on the side. When these vents get clogged, the motor runs less efficiently. It is also helpful if you clean the fan blades and make sure that there is no dust or mold buildup on them. Dust on the blades can be problematic when it comes to the long term effectiveness of the fan.

If you do your best to clean inside your furnace cabinet, you will have a more productive and efficient system. Contact professionals like Northwest  Heating &  Air Conditioning Inc for more information.

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