Furnace Cleaning

Regular cleaning is an integral part of your furnace’s maintenance. Dirt is its number-one enemy. A poorly maintained furnace can result in many harmful contaminants circulating throughout your home, including the following:

• household dust
• pet dander
• debris
• pathogens
• allergens
• chemicals
• dust mites

Although the air entering passes through a filter, the filter cannot possibly remove everything, and over time its tiny holes become choked with dirt. Additionally, the internal parts of the furnace (blower, motor, fan, etc.) become dirty themselves, and this dirt gets caught up in the system and blown back into your home.

An improperly cleaned and maintained furnace can also be dangerous. Carbon monoxide is a natural product of combustion and is found in combustion fumes, such as those produced by oil or gas furnaces. These fumes are normally exhausted from your home through the furnace’s venting. A clean, well-maintained, and efficiently burning furnace will produce less carbon monoxide than a dirty one.

For further reading, visit our blog post: The Importance of Furnace Flue Cleaning.

Most experts agree that furnace cleaning should be performed at least once every two years, and as often as every year for some households, including those with multiple residents, pets, and family members with allergies or asthma. Regular furnace cleaning improves the efficiency of your heating system and helps to maintain indoor air quality. In addition to having your furnace cleaned regularly by one of our technicians, you should clean or replace your furnace filter at least every 3 months.

For further reading, visit our blog post–Help Keep Your Air Ducts Clean: Maintain Your Air Filter.

The technician will use high-pressured air and a vacuum to clean all major parts of the unit and heating elements (heat exchanger, combustion chamber, burners, jets, pilot light, blower motor, fan, and filter), eliminating scale buildup and thus preventing the unit from becoming clogged—increasing efficiency and helping to extend the life of your furnace. Steps include the following:​

• ​Clean the blower and fan compartment, removing all dust and debris from the fan blades, which helps prevent the blower motor from burning out.
• Ensure the blower motor is functioning as it should, and that the evaporator coil (A-coil) is allowing proper air flow.
• Check the contacts and wiring, and the ignitor and flame sensor for wear.
• Examine the condensation drain coil line to make sure it’s free from clogs (which, if present, could cause water to leak down into your furnace).
• Look for a common problem referred to as “filter bypass,” which allows dust and contaminants to sneak around your furnace filter and into your home. This often happens when an ill-fitting or cheap furnace filter is used, or, in some cases, improper installation of the filter rack. If this condition is present, the technician can offer some suggestions for alleviating filter bypass.