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Furnace Maintenance:
Once a month
Change or clean filters. To determine how dirty the
filters are, hold them up. If you can easily see light
through them, then they're still clean enough to use.
Inspect the furnace for worn, shiny and sagging belts.
They cause undue stress on the fan motor. Repairs require
loosening the motor chassis mounts and sliding the motor
back enough to make the belt taut and aligned with the
fan.
Once a year
Get a yearly preventive maintenance check (about $150)
from a service company. At a minimum, the technician
should check the fan controls, air filters, blower belt,
belt alignment and ducts. He should also check and adjust
the burner flame, if necessary.
Cut power 15 minutes before working on a forced-air unit.
The blower is a flywheel-type device that spins long after
power is off. Also, don't start the unit up until you've
screwed the blower back in place.
Vacuum the blower and blower area, and clean blower blades
with a brush.
Lubricate the motor with five drops of SAE 20 no detergent
oil. Don't overfill.
Once a year
Get a full checkup (around $160, plus parts) before the
start of the heating season. The technician should clean
and tune the unit, and inspect, repair or replace as
necessary the following: fuel nozzle, oil filter,
electrodes, pump strainer and pump gaskets, fuel pump,
fuses in the burner circuit, thermostat and transformer.
If you're heating forced air with oil, the tune-up should
also include a check of the fan controls, air filters and
blower belt and ducts. |
