Do It Yourself Heating Repair – Furnace Cleaning Tips

Heating repair costs can be avoided if you make sure that your furnace is kept clean. This is a small bit of maintenance that you should perform on a routine basis during the winter months, and it should be done especially in the early fall before the cold weather sets in. Here are some tips on cleaning your furnace.

The Filter System

There are two types of filter systems – disposable and permanent. The disposable filters can be taken out easily be removing the outer cover and simply pulling them out. Sometime in the fall, take out your old filters and take them to the hardware store so that you can match them to the ones you need. It's a good idea to buy a few sets of these because you should be changing them about monthly during the winter.

You can clean the permanent filters yourself by using a non-toxic detergent and then rinsing with warm water. Once you're done, you reinsert them into the unit. It's important to use cleaners that are non-toxic since the filters will affect air quality. In addition to heating repair problems, bad filters cause the indoor air quality of your home to suffer, so it's important to get them changed regularly.

The Blower

You should run a vacuum around the inside of the unit with the power turned off at least one time before winter. You should also do a thorough cleaning of the blower. The blower has lots of small, delicate parts, so get in there with a toothbrush and some cotton swabs. In order to get deep down into the blower mechanism, you have to remove the cover. Also under the cover you'll find the fins, which need a good, thorough cleaning. Doing this once before winter sets in will go a long way in preventing the need for heating repair during the colder months.

The Motor

It’s also important to give the motor a good cleaning before winter sets in. In order to clean the motor, you have to make sure that there is no power running through the furnace. You'll also have to get deep down into your unit, and you'll need someone to help you by holding a flashlight so that you can see what you're doing. Many people leave motor cleaning to the heating repair professionals because it's a trickier job. It's also slightly dangerous; if there is still power flowing through the unit, you risk getting shocked. For this reason, you should turn off the power supply and turn the thermostat to its highest setting, then wait five minutes before you start working there.

Of course, heating repair professionals can do your furnace cleaning for you if you're not up to the task. They can also do some extra deep cleaning and give you some tips on how to keep it properly maintained. Heating repair professionals offer a wide range of maintenance services such as thermostat troubleshooting and duct cleaning which can also help your heater run smoothly during the winter months.