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Choosing the perfect furnace for your home can be tough, but when you find the perfect match, it's one of the best decisions you can make for your home. Whether oil or natural gas, furnaces keep your family warm during the cool fall months and into the crisp winter. This means you should pay close attention to how it operates, what maintenance it requires, and how to protect it. Here's Warner Service’s advice on keeping your furnace running smoothly throughout the year:

How Furnaces Operate:

  1. There are a few types of furnaces based on design: single-stage, two-stage, and modulating.
  2. Household furnaces can have multiple efficiency and functionality patterns like natural draft, forced-air, forced draft, and condensing.
  3. Most furnaces come with the following basic components:
    • Air filter
    • Cold air return
    • Compartment blower
    • Control valve
    • Electric blower motor
    • Flue
    • Gas burner
    • Gas valve
    • Heat exchanger
    • Heat recovery ventilator (optional)
    • Pilot light
    • Tension belt

Learn more about the types, efficiency and functionality patterns, and components of furnaces in our blog, Furnace Basics for Beginners.

Which Furnace Maintenance Tips You Should Follow:  

  1. Ensure that the temperature you see on the thermostat matches the feel of your home. If it does not, call a technician to analyze the calibration of the thermostat.
  2. Monitor the control valve. If the valve is in the “on” position, chances are gas can enter the furnace, which perpetuates heat production for your home.
  3. Turn off the furnace, and carefully dust off the blower and motor using a damp cloth. (Paper towels create a fire hazard, so it’s best to avoid them around any heated appliances.)
  4. Turn off the furnace, and let it cool. Once cooled, open the door and use a small vacuum nozzle to clean the base, fan blades, and other hard-to-reach areas.
  5. Turn off the furnace, and check the tension belt to keep the furnace quiet. If it is frayed, cracked, or worn, replace it with a new belt.
  6. Check the belt’s tightness by pushing down in the center. If it deflates by more than half an inch, call an HVAC specialist to tighten it.
  7. Turn off the furnace, and oil the electric blower motor with the change of season to keep it fresh. However, be careful of over-lubricating.
  8. Shut down gas furnaces at the end of winter.
  9. Turn off the furnace, and clean the heat recovery ventilator (or vents, for short) of debris, dirt, and other blockages. This will help avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
  10. If you smell gas or see black soot, leave your home and call an HVAC professional immediately.
  11. Check on the pilot light to make sure it stays blue. If it turns yellow or orange, leave your home and call an expert. 

How To Protect Your Furnace All Year:

  1. Talk to an HVAC professional. They will inspect the furnace, from the blower to the indoor coil, and offer personalized advice on whether you should consider a repair or replacement
  2. Sign up for a residential service agreement. Warner Service offers residential (and commercial) service agreements, so you do not have to worry about conducting monthly maintenance on any part of the heating, ventilation, or cooling. Click here to see what a typical service appointment looks like.
  3. Check your air filter more often. Air filters and furnaces go hand-in-hand. Air filters affect a furnace’s efficiency, so check and replace it at least once per month to keep a constant flow of clean air.

And there you have it. We hope our tips and tricks help homeowners understand and maintain the furnace, especially with the upcoming drop in temperature. For more information like this, subscribe to our weekly blog:

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