When you get a new furnace, your HVAC technician will often recommend that you call them once a year or so for a maintenance appointment. Proper maintenance, they'll inform you, helps keep your furnace working efficiently, and it can also extend your furnace's lifespan. But what actually happens during a furnace maintenance appointment? Here are the key elements.

Inspecting the Ventilation System

Most modern furnaces are vented out a PVC pipe. It's important that this ventilation works properly, or else carbon monoxide and other harmful gases may build up in your home. During a maintenance appointment, your furnace technician will usually look over this vent pipe and the associated hardware. If there's any debris build-up in the vent, they'll clear it out. 

Lubrication

There are a lot of moving parts in a furnace, especially in the blower motor assembly. If these parts are not properly lubricated, there will be friction between them, which will cause them to wear down over time. So, during a maintenance appointment, an HVAC technician will apply lubricating grease or oil to all of these parts. This will also help keep your furnace quiet as it runs.

Air Filter Replacement

You should be changing your own air filter every few months, but your HVAC tech will generally also change it during a maintenance appointment. Keeping a fresh filter in the furnace keeps dust and debris from building up on the furnace parts and causing damage.

Checking Wiring

During the maintenance appointment, your HVAC technician will also look over all of the wires and electrical components associated with the furnace. If any of these wires are frayed or otherwise damaged, they will replace them. This helps prevent furnace fires and electrical shocks.

Calibrating the Thermostat

Have you ever looked at the temperature on your thermostat, and then at the temperature on a thermometer, and realized they were not the same? This was likely because your thermostat was not properly calibrated. During a maintenance appointment, your HVAC technician will calibrate the thermostat, making sure that when you set it to 72 degrees, for instance, your furnace does, in fact, bring the space up to 72 degrees.

Furnace maintenance is really important for keeping your system in good shape. Talk to your HVAC contractor if you have any additional questions about their specific maintenance process. Every company operates a little differently, but the tasks listed above are generally the backbone of the appointment.

For more information on furnace maintenance, contact a company near you.

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