7 Maintenance Tips to Increase the Life Cycle of Your Furnace
The average life cycle of a gas furnace varies from 15 to 20 years. Electric furnaces are built to operate for 15 to 30 years. Although the lifespans are long, a furnace can fail in 12 years or less if it’s not cleaned and inspected annually. Do not postpone an inspection on your gas or electric furnace. You may end up paying substantially more money on a repair during the winter season due to the cold weather conditions. To help you save money, we have compiled a list of maintenance tips to help you enhance the life cycle of your furnace.
Table of Contents
Ways to Maintain Your Furnace
Sanitize the Combustion Chamber
The combustion chamber in a furnace is engineered to safely maintain the reaction between air and natural gas. As the flames are produced in the chamber, a collection of soot, gas, and vapor will start to form. If the dirt is not cleaned and furnace maintenance is not performed each year, the interior walls of the combustion chamber will start to deteriorate.
The deterioration will cause holes and cracks to form in the combustion chamber. To prevent a gas leak, it’s important to hire a certified technician to perform furnace maintenance and inspections each year. The easiest way to remove dirt from the chamber is to use a miniature wire brush. The brush will loosen the debris in the furnace. Next, grab a commercial vacuum cleaner to remove loose dirt in the chamber, heat exchanger, blower motor, gas burners, and electric ignitor.
Inspect the Combustion Gas & Exhaust
To confirm your furnace is operating efficiently, you will be required to use a combustion inspection tool to measure the composition of the natural gas and exhaust in the flue pipes. A combustion inspection tool is equipped with a probe that is designed to be inserted into an exhaust pipe that is connected to a furnace. Prior to connecting the combustion inspection tool to the flue pipe, you will need to calibrate it.
Activate the inspection tool outside to confirm you’re not detecting exhaust leaks in the household. Next, perform an inspection to confirm the type of furnace in the home. If you have a condensing furnace, the connection between the combustion chamber and exhaust pipe will be airtight. Use a drill to create a small hole in the flue pipe. Next, integrate the probe of the combustion inspection tool to the exhaust pipe to obtain a reading of the CO levels. The CO level of the exhaust in an efficient furnace will vary from 100 to 400 PPM. If the CO levels in your furnace meet safety standards, plug the hole in your exhaust pipe prior to finishing maintenance on the system.
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Measure the Certified Temperature Rise Range
The sticker on a gas furnace includes a list of certified temperature rise ranges. The two numbers on the sticker represent the lowest and highest temperature rise ratings. The temperature rise of a furnace is measured by obtaining the temperature of the air exiting the furnace and the air entering the system. The correct way to calculate a temperature rise rating is to subtract the temperature of the supply air from the temperature of the return air. For example, a furnace with a temperature rise range of 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is designed to increase the incoming air temperature by a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 70.
If the temperature rise of your furnace decreases below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the air exiting your vents in your house will feel cold. This is because the furnace is barely increasing the temperature of the incoming cold air on your property. A low air temperature rise can be fixed by decreasing the speed of the fan in your furnace. On the other hand, it’s important to confirm your furnace is not overheating the incoming air that is delivered through the air ducts that are connected to the system.
A furnace with a certified temperature rise range of 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is engineered to increase the temperature of incoming air by a maximum of 70 degrees. If the temperature difference between the supply and return air is 80 Fahrenheit or higher, you will start to notice issues such as short heating cycles.
If your furnace is continuously activating and deactivating, this is a sign of overheating due to drastic temperature rises. The average difference between the minimum temperature rise range and the maximum temperature rise range is 30 degrees Fahrenheit. To ensure your furnace is operating safely, a licensed technician will measure the temperature rise range to confirm it’s not below the minimum or above the maximum range.
Remove & Clean the Fan & Motor
As your furnace operates during the winter months, dust and dirt will start to accumulate in the fan and motor. The first step to removing dirt from the fan is to remove the blower assembly from the furnace. Performing furnace maintenance on the blower assembly will enhance the efficiency of the fan and prevent motor failure.
Once the collection of dust in your fan and motor becomes severe, a large amount of heat will become trapped in the furnace. If the operating temperature becomes too hot, the electrical parts in the motor will become damaged. On the other hand, a large collection of dust on the fan blades will make it hard for the motor to spin the fan. This will cause the motor to overheat and deactivate.
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Disassemble the Front Panel & Remove the Control Board
Prior to cleaning the fan, shut off the power to your furnace. Next, remove the front panel of the furnace to access the blower motor. Once the panel is removed, the next furnace maintenance step is to remove the two screws to disassemble the door switch. Use a flashlight to locate and remove the control board in your furnace.
The board can be detached from the furnace by removing a couple of screws. Once the control board is loose, pull it away from the furnace without removing any wires. In most cases, the wires should be long enough to allow you to set the control board off to the side while you’re cleaning the blower motor and fan.
Slide the Blower Motor Out of the Furnace
The blower motor and assembly are secured to a furnace with 2 or more screws. You will need to remove the screws to detach the fan from the furnace. Next, grab the blower motor with two hands and slowly slide it out of the furnace. To prevent damage to the wires, use caution when you remove the blower assembly. Once the fan is removed, use the proper tools required to remove the dirt and dust from the motor. When the fan is clean, you will need to insert the motor back into the furnace and reattach the screws.
Clean the Heat Exchanger
Before you start cleaning the heat exchanger, shut off the gas and electricity to your furnace. Next, grab a brush or paper towels to remove dirt from the chambers of the heat exchanger. Although a brush can remove large chunks of dirt and dust, it may not be able to reach loose debris in the chambers. Use a small vacuum to remove loose dirt from the chambers of the heat exchanger. Once you are finished with furnace maintenance, assemble the furnace and attach the front panel. Remember to reactivate the gas and electricity prior to using the system.
Replace The Air Filter
Your furnace needs to breathe. Lint and dust can not only reduce the life cycle of your furnace, but they will create blockages in your air ducts. Replacing the air filter is the easiest maintenance task for a furnace. Fiberglass filters should be replaced once a month. On the other hand, the life cycle of premium pleated air filters is 6 months or less. The difficult part is remembering to replace your filters each month. Your air filter is usually located between the blower and the return air duct.
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Clean the Air Ducts
Dust in air ducts is similar to cholesterol in arteries. Once a large amount of direct collects in your ductwork, the warm air created by your furnace will not be able to reach each room in your house. If you perform maintenance on your air ducts without a licensed technician, make certain that you reseal the ductwork to prevent an air leak.
Other Important Furnace Inspection Steps:
- -Measure the Voltage Rating of the Motor
-Inspect the Motor and Belt For Cracks & Damage
-Analyze the Wiring For Deterioration
-Sanitize & Modify the Electrodes & Pilot Light Assembly
-Check the Heat Exchanger For Cracks, Holes, & Corrosion
-Tighten Gas Connections to Prevent a Leak
-Install a Clean Air Filter to Enhance the Flow of Air
-Inspect the Programmable Thermostat For Accuracy
-Analyze the Gas Pressure To Ensure It’s Not Too High or Low
-Add Oil to The Motor, Bearings, Fan, & Circulators to Prevent -Damage
Heating & Furnace Repair Services
No matter the type of furnace you have, our team of licensed technicians has the tools and equipment required to ensure it’s operating efficiently. With more than 20 years of experience, we know how to repair any type of furnace. We offer furnace repair, tune-up, and replacement services in Tom’s River and other areas of New Jersey. Give our team a call by phone at (732) 201-3305 to schedule an appointment. We will check your fans and confirm the blower assembly is working properly. Our staff offers heating and air conditioning repair services in areas such as Brick, Howell, Trenton, Elizabeth, and Middletown. We stock replacement parts for a large number of furnace brands and models.
