In the commercial environment maintenance is a never ending cycle from winter to summer. In contrast the residential environment sometimes maintenance is neglected until there is a problem with either the heating or cooling system. Why wait for something to happen when there some simple things you can do to make sure your heating and cooling run at optimum levels by performing some basic maintenance on your heating and cooling system. For those who do not have the skills or time to perform the basic maintenance themselves then it is recommended that you subscribe to maintenance agreement through a professional HVAC company. Of course it always recommended that a professional do the work as they are most familiar with HVAC systems and can do the job quickly and efficiently as well spot things that could go wrong over the course of the heating or cooling season.

 

Basic Heating System Maintenance

Before doing any maintenance on heating or cooling systems always observe the manufacturers safety instructions including turning off power and securing and gas valves to prevent gas from leaking. As a homeowner or novice you need to use common sense and do not go beyond your skill level or what the manufacturers basic instructions say about basic gas furnace maintenance if the gas furnace manufacturer’s instructions say anything about basic heating system maintenance. Also remember there are several different types of gas furnaces and each different type of gas furnace will have different maintenance needs from one gas furnace to another. For example, a standing pilot gas furnace will need some different maintenance than an electronic ignition gas furnace. You will also need to be familiar with gas furnace components and components will vary from gas furnace to gas furnace. Maintenance plans for gas furnaces typically include the following from an HVAC contractor for service:

• Check motors, capacitors, and lubricate motors as necessary.
• Check amp draws (current) for all electrical loads in the system to make sure readings are normal for electrical loads. Any abnormal readings out of range from normal will indicate a possible bad component or a motor that will fail soon.
• Change filters, clean coils as necessary. A gas furnace that operates with a split system air conditioner and using the same duct work needs to have the evaporator checked out to ensure it is clean and will not impede airflow.
• Check electrical connections. Loose electrical connections can be big problems in the future including being a fire hazard.
• Check and clean flame sensor – whether it is solid state or thermocouple or thermopile this is important. A small percentage of trouble calls in the winter include either a dirty flame sensor or dirty flame sensor. This could have been prevented if regular gas furnace maintenance was performed.
• Check for a cracked heat exchanger. This is important and could prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Check gas lines for rusting and corrosion which could cause a leak over the heating season. If this happens the gas company can red tag your meter and lock it off. The gas company will only unlock it after the gas line has been repaired by a gasfitter.
• Check and adjust gas pressure as necessary.
• Check and adjust the pilot or ignition flames as necessary.
• Ensure the air conditioner is shut down properly for the heating season.
• For condensing furnaces ensure that the drain is free and will drain condensation.
• Check duct work for air tight integrity.
• Test all safety controls for the gas furnace.
• Make maintenance or repair recommendations to keep the system running reliably and smoothly over the course of the season or the life of the gas furnace.

Good maintenance can prevent future problems especially the big problems that end up costing a lot of money to repair. Ensure you have a good heating system maintenance plan in place today and avoid the costly repairs but more importantly avoid being cold in the winter. Gas furnaces and heat pumps cover the majority of the heating systems in use today. There are other heating systems that require annual maintenance including boilers both gas and oil systems. These include forced air oil furnaces and boilers, geothermal heating systems and electric heating systems. As always we recommend a professional HVAC technician do the maintenance on your system.

 

Basic Maintenance for Gas Furnaces