Here are some general guidelines for maintenance on various types of filters.
Annual furnace maintenance diy.
These instructions apply to a whole home air conditioning or heat pump unit.
Look look at the flames in the burner.
Annual furnace maintenance is especially critical ahead of winter because this is when the furnace will be needed the most.
Both types will have an interior unit evaporator and blower and an exterior unit condenser coil and compressor.
The exact amount of time is determined by how dirty the furnace is it s age and how many items are on the maintenance checklist.
Tune up or maintenance completion time.
Annual servicing is cheap typically less than 100 especially when compared with the price of a new furnace.
A dirty filter will cause excessive strain on your furnace increase heating costs and reduce the life of your equipment.
Heat pumps on the other hand work more like a central air conditioner than like a furnace so we won t deal with them here.
Apply two to three drops of lightweight machine oil and replace the caps.
You should see a steady blue flame.
Diy or hire a pro.
Your heating ventilating and air conditioning system hvac will consist of either a furnace and ac or a heat pump which both heats and cools.
Not having a cover poses a safety issue.
Take caution if you are performing any kind of gas furnace maintenance turn off the gas line.
Next turn up the thermostat so your furnace comes on and check the flames in the burner.
Whatever type of system you have don t wait until it breaks down to do diy furnace maintenance.
They should be blue and steady not yellow or orange and.
Some older furnaces have two motor bearings and two blower shaft bearings that require annual oiling.
Homeowner gas furnace maintenance gas furnace inspection checklist diy.
If you have scheduled furnace maintenance by your appointed technician you will do well to familiarize yourself with a checklist of the tasks that the heating professional will perform.
The valve to turn off your gas line should be located near the gas meter.
However oil furnace combustion chambers are very different and should only be worked on by professionals.
First take a look at your furnace.
There shouldn t be any black soot or combustion residue on or around it.
Clean around the oil caps and remove the caps.
A clean well adjusted heating system will save you money on fuel and prolong furnace life.
Make sure that your furnace filter has a cover over the slot ensuring an efficient return air system.
However you can do annual maintenance yourself and save some of that money.