To get the most out of your furnace during the winter, you’ll want to make sure that you have planned maintenance scheduled during the fall. Doing so will ensure that your furnace is running as efficiently as possible, resulting in lower heating bills, longer-lasting heating equipment and increased comfort in your southwest Ohio home. A professional contractor will do the following when performing your planned maintenance:
- Clean the combustion chamber – Carbon soot, carbon dioxide and water vapor are all produced as byproducts of creating heat. The contractor will clean out any soot to prevent corrosion of the chamber walls. All other loose dirt and debris will be cleaned up as well.
- Inspection of the flue pipe – Holes in the flue pipe can lead to carbon monoxide leaking out. Holes will be patched up if possible, although if they are too large, then the pipe must be replaced. The barometric damper also will be checked in order to make sure the chimney draw is properly moderated.
- Filter replacement – The oil filter, which keeps dirt and debris from plugging up the oil-burner nozzle, will be replaced. The air filter also will be checked and possibly changed in order to keep your home’s air as clean as possible.
- The blower – The blower or air handler is an important part of your heating system, as it’s the component that blows warm air through the ductwork, from the heating equipment to the living spaces. The contractor will check any belts for wear and tension.
- The burner – The efficiency of the furnace will be measured using a combustion analyzer. The contractor will adjust the air gates of the burner to make sure the ratio of fuel to air is correct. He will replace the oil nozzle and inspect the color of the flame to make sure the combustion process is working properly.
Attempting maintenance on your heating system yourself can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Schedule a planned maintenance time with an experienced professional this fall. For the highest quality service in the Dayton area, please contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about planned maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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