Preventing Common Furnace Repairs

Preventing Common Furnace Repairs with Annual Maintenance

Most heating systems are never given a thought until the cold months arrive and the system needs to be turned on. What if it doesn’t work? Not only will that be one cold house and some seriously disrupted residents, the issue causing the problem has now become costly repair vs what could’ve been a simple maintenance issue.

What’s the best way to prevent many emergency repair calls? Schedule routine maintenance to ensure it’s ready to go for the cold seasons.  Furnace technicians can evaluate and correct a number of mechanical, technical and maintenance issues with the heating system before it ends up requiring Denver furnace repair.

The burner, fan, and ignition are the three most common problem areas on a furnace.

Furnace Burner

A poorly maintained burner leads to all sorts of safety and operation threats. Dirt, dust, and other debris covering a burner can prevent it from lighting or cause it to frequently suffocate out.

These foreign particles also lead to excessive wear and tear of the mechanism. Beyond mechanical issues, any foreign particles covering or near the burner pose a potentially fire hazard for the home. Routine maintenance and cleaning for furnace burners to ensure they safely light and stay lit for the duration of the season.

Furnace Fan

Just as with the cooling unit circulating cold air, your heating system circulates heated air throughout the home. The fan is used to push this air into the home. It has multiple parts that need to be routinely services, including:

• Ensure ball bearings are well lubricated to prevent friction wear and tear.
• Ensure motor mounts are properly secured so that it doesn’t drop into the shaft and damage the motor.
• Ensure fan blades are properly secured and not warped or bent.
• Ensure fan belts have good placement and aren’t fraying.
• Ensure that electrical grid and wiring is in good working order and free of damage that would affect safety, efficiency, and operation.

Furnace Ignition

While some furnaces have a pilot light, most modern furnaces have an electronic ignition. Either way, dirt, grime, and debris can build up around the ignition and cause it to fail to light or frequently go off.  Systems with an intermittent pilot may not have flowing gas if the fuel nozzle becomes clogged.
Systems with a dirty hot surface igniter may not get hot enough to light the gas jet or keep it lit. If gas builds up because the system can’t light or stay lit, the heat exchanger can crack from the mini explosions of unreleased gas. Carbon monoxide poisoning is also a risk when ignition is failing.

With routine professional maintenance, homeowners get multiple benefits:

• Prevents costly furnace failures.
• Ensures equipment is working at peak performance.
• Provides peace of mind that the furnace is working safely.
• Extends the overall life of the furnace.

SWAN Plumbing, Heating & Air of Denver is here to answer all your heating and cooling questions, provide new installation, and perform routine maintenance and repairs. Call today for a consultation.

Disclosure: This is a featured post.