Gas Furnace Maintenance

Maintaining a gas furnace is a very crucial job which must be done from time to time. It must be cleaned every year. Along with the cleaning, you have to check the furnace, whether it is working properly or not. If it is not working properly, then carbon monoxide is produced. Carbon monoxide is highly poisonous and can cause flu like symptoms, confusion, dizziness and many other health hazards. Carbon monoxide is a by-product of the incomplete combustion of natural gas. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless. Older furnaces emit more carbon monoxide due to the decreased efficiency of the combustion. Also, older furnaces develop cracks and these cracks serve as an outlet for the leakage of carbon monoxide. These cracks in the furnace are not even visible to the naked eye. Therefore, it is important to undertake a gas furnace maintenance program every year.

Guidelines for Maintenance of a Gas Furnace

Filters
Air filters are an important part of the gas furnace and cleaning and maintaining them is important. There are three types of air filters viz., cardboard, fiberglass and plastic filters. If your air filter is cardboard or fiberglass, replace them with new ones when they become dirty. In case of the plastic filters, wash the filters with detergent and dry the filters thoroughly. After cleaning the filter, replace it in the original place. Besides, nowadays, there are electronic air filters also. There are instructions on how to clean the electronic filter that come along with the product manual and maintenance guide. It is important to note that you should not turn on the furnace without installing the filter.

Lubricating the Motor Annually
After the cleaning session is over, you should turn to the lubrication section of the gas furnace. This is another crucial step in its maintenance. There are two types of motors viz., motors with oiling ports and motors without oiling ports. The motors without oiling ports are lubricated at the time of manufacture and require no lubrication. When you call a service technician, he is supposed to replace the motor without oiling ports.

On the other hand, motor with oiling ports requires oiling once in a year or two. This oiling depends upon the usage of the gas furnace. Remember, do not add excess oil to the motor bearings. If you add excessive oil to the bearing, there are chances of the motor getting damaged.

Regular Cleanup of Motor
When you call the service technician, he must clean the motor periodically. Dust and dirt accumulated on the motor can cause the motor to overheat and damage the windings. Along with the motor, the blower wheel must also be cleaned. Dust and dirt can obstruct the air flow in the furnace and this can damage the furnace.

Other Things to be Inspected by the Service Technician
There are many other things that you must check. The list of these things is as follows:

• Venting system
• Heat exchanger passages
• Corrosion
• Burners
• Leaks in the gas pipe
• Cracks in the furnace
• Cleanup of the pilot and the pilot assembly
• Cleaning the burners

Any malfunction in the gas furnace must be detected at the time of the maintenance.

These are the things to be checked in a gas furnace. Some of these are such, that they must be checked from time to time like, leakage or corrosion. Checking these things in advance can save you from disasters, accidents and costly repairs. Lastly, call up the service technician before the winter begins and enjoy the warmth hassle free.