Once installed, the furnace becomes the life of your home, but only when it runs smoothly. To secure its long-lasting performance, proper and timely furnace maintenance is necessary. But most furnace owners do not think the same and end up procrastinating. This could lead to an emergency situation where one is unprepared to handle the hazards. Without proper maintenance, it is impossible to rely on a furnace as it could shut down, cause problems, or even have a breakdown unexpectedly. The pros of furnace maintenance include the following:

  • Reduces the total energy bill considerably
  • Eliminates the possibility of injuries or health hazards
  • Proven to enhance the overall performance of your furnace
  • Repair costs are low when it comes to a properly maintained furnace

The first step to taking furnace maintenance seriously is to make a checklist to guide you. It should include specifics about the routine maintenance on your furnace and also a tune-up that it needs. But the majority of people do not take it seriously, which is why there is a shortage of help.

Keeping this in mind, we have shared a complete checklist to ensure furnace maintenance is done on time. Following the checklist below could ease the stress on your shoulders and help you get started.

1. Air filter

The air filter of a furnace is probably its most necessary component, which one must clean carefully and often. These air filters also need to be replaced after 2-3 months, but it really depends on how much a furnace is used. People generally wonder why replacing and cleaning air filters are necessary in the first place. Since these filters absorb not only dust but debris and other contaminants, cleaning and replacing them when it’s time is a no-brainer.

2. Fans and blowers

One of the first things on your furnace maintenance checklist has to be the fans and blowers. Inspecting the inducer fans that come with high-end furnaces is a necessity. If these fans and blowers do not perform well or have difficulty rotating, a furnace could be wasting a lot of energy. So it is better to inspect these components and even lubricate them if needed.

3. Heat exchanger

One of the most common yet important preventive measures to secure a furnace from malfunctioning is to check the heat exchanger. There are several reasons why it should be on your furnace maintenance checklist. If rust, carbon buildup, or any other kind of damage creeps up in a heat exchanger, then it would release toxic fumes. Such fumes can kill or cause serious illnesses.

4. Humidifier

There is a humidifier inside every furnace that one should check during routine checkups. The performance of your furnace depends greatly on how this humidifier operates. This means a professional should clean this humidifier every now and then. However, if you find it difficult to determine when it should be cleaned, monitor your usage. The more a furnace is used, the dirtier a humidifier can get.

5. Flame sensor

The flame sensor within a furnace is an important part of it, and one should clean it every once in a while. If the flame sensor operates properly, it ensures that all of the burners are ignited. If it doesn’t, then your furnace is most likely to shut off. Scrubbing is the most effective way to remove any and all buildup from a flame sensor inside the furnace.

Bottom line

Every furnace comes with some kind of warranty, but after its period is over, one cannot afford to overlook furnace maintenance. This checklist is meant to guide everyone.