Stay comfortable this season with these
Ask Us About Our 0% Financing
It’s always a good idea to have your annual furnace maintenance done by a professional, like H&S Heating & Air Conditioning! But there are times where furnace maintenance is needed, can be done by yourself and can help extend the life of your furnace.
Let’s look over a few different furnace maintenance tips you can do on your own, but don’t forget to contact us for your annual furnace maintenance checkup!
FURNACE MAINTENANCE
Whether you have an oil-burning forced-air furnace or a gas system, you’ll want to have furnace maintenance done to keep your system running at peak efficiency all year long. In both types of systems, fuel is mixed with air and ignited, heating a sealed chamber. Fresh, filtered air then blows across the outside of the hot chamber and into the heating ducts. The dangerous exhaust from the combustion chamber is then vented out of a flue or chimney.
Changing Furnace Filter
During the winter, all of the air your family breathes comes through the furnace filter. For ideal furnace maintenance, it’s suggested you replace the filter once per month but never let it go for as long as a year without being changed.
- Ensure the furnace is not running before you begin replacing or checking the furnace filter.
- The filter will be located on the right or left side of the furnace, between the duct leading into the bottom of the furnace.
- Check the filter monthly, either to change it or to ensure there is no damage or that it isn’t dirty or plugged.
- To replace the filter, be sure to check the filter size located on the filter itself. Contact H&S Heating & Air Conditioning for replacement filters.
- There will also be an arrow on the filter indicating which way air is supposed to flow through it; point the arrow toward the furnace.
- Remember, furnace maintenance is recommended once per year. Your furnace manufacturer may even require it to uphold the warranty.
Cleaning Floor Vents
Fall is a great time to remove floor registers and vacuum out your heating ducts. Your heating ducts are magnets for dust, pet hair, small toys and food scraps, so furnace maintenance on this part of your system is vital, otherwise all of the debris which has fallen into the register will be in the air once the furnace kicks in. You’ll also breathe easier after furnace maintenance without the debris in the air, and your heating system will work more efficiently.
AIR-TO-AIR (HRV) MAINTENANCE
The HRV is basically an air exchanger used to keep bringing fresh air into your airtight home without making the house cold in the winter or too warm in the summer. Usually there is one central HRV, but you may have multiple smaller HRVs. It’s important to incorporate cleaning these into your furnace maintenance.
- Turn off your HRV and unplug it.
- Open the front panel and remove the filters every 2-3 months. Vacuum the filter, then wash with mild soap and water, rinse and then let it air dry. Older units will have replaceable (non-cleanable) filters. Contact H&S Heating & Air Conditioning for replacement filters.
- Open the front panel of the HRV and remove the center core. Vacuum it, then soak the core in warm soapy water for 3 hours, rinse, then let air dry.
- Locate the outdoor air intakes. In the spring and fall, remove leaves, waste paper and other debris so the system can breathe properly. During winter, check for any snow or frost which may block the vents.
- Remember, HRV maintenance is recommended once per year. Your HRV manufacturer may even require it to uphold the warranty.
SERVICE & REPAIR
We offer 24-hour emergency service, with no overtime charges. Our fully stocked trucks with thousands of specialty parts and materials on board are ready to serve you and fix your heating or air conditioner problem on the first call. And when your family’s health, safety, and comfort are involved, that means peace of mind. Quality service is important to our clients, and our goal is to ensure that your needs are completely met for any heating or air conditioning issues that arise.