Clean, Clean, Clean: All The Things You Should Be Cleaning And Keep Clean To Maintain Your Heating

If you watch an HVAC technician perform routine heating maintenance services, you are very likely to see him/her do a lot of one particular thing; clean. In fact, a lot of clean components contribute to the efficiency and efficacy of your heating appliance. All of the following items need to be cleaned and kept clean if you want your furnace to keep working properly, and you want your home to be nice and toasty this winter. 

Ducts

This part of your heating and cooling system is the most overlooked part of the entire system. People can live in the same home for decades and never once consider cleaning their ducts and ventilation. When they finally do clean it all, they are very surprised at what gunk is in the ducts. (Your HVAC technician runs cameras down into the ducts through the vents to show you the extent of the muck in the ducts before cleaning them, and will put the camera down the same vents and ducts again to show you how clean they are when the job is done.) Keeping the ducts and vents clean allows the heated air to move easily and freely through the system and into every room of your home. 

Filter

Every furnace has a filter. Some have two. Some have an air filter and an oil filter, as is the case with an oil furnace. Whatever and however many filters your furnace has, you need to clean and replace all of them regularly to keep dust, allergens, and potentially ignitable materials from swirling around inside your furnace and into your home. 

Electrical Control Panel

Inside every furnace, regardless of type, there is an electrical control panel. With all of its wires, switches, and connections to the thermostat and the main electrical box in your home, it tends to collect a lot of dirt and dust. Keeping the connections and wires clean ensures that electricity will flow smoothly and the furnace will work properly. All of the necessary electrical signals will activate and not be impeded by any dirt or dust when you clean these off. 

Fuel Feeds

If you have an oil furnace, you will also need to clean the fuel feeds and fuel lines. These can often become bogged down with residue and sticky particles in the fuel get trapped and become a blockage. Flushing them removes the residue and blockage so that the fuel can flow freely to the furnace. 

Contact your heating maintenance services to learn more about what your system may need.

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