by Cooper Climate Control
0
Dirt is an enemy to all furnaces. Not only does dirt decrease furnace efficiency, but it also wastes fuel. The parts of your furnace which should be regularly cleaned: the blower, the filter, and the motor.
The Filter
This part of your furnace should be cleaned about once a month during periods of heavy use. At the start of the heating season, you may want to check if the filter should be outright replaced in order to meet your heating demands. Hold the filter up to the light and look for clogs. Independent of the age of the filter, if it looks clogged, you should replace it. There are different types of filters, some are reusable and may be a good investment. Consulting with your HVAC technician will help you determine which filter is best for your usage and budget.
The Blower
It is particularly important to clean furnaces with blowers which have cage housing. It is common for debris to get caught in this housing. In order to properly clean the blower, you should schedule an annual furnace tune-up. Your technician will safely remove the panel surrounding the filter or, depending on your model, the panel on the front of your furnace. This may require removing some screws. In order to access the blower properly, your technician may need to remove the fan unit which is typically connected by screws.
Once we have taken the screws out of the fan connection, some additional work may need to be performed. If the power cord for your fan is not long enough to allow you to move as needed to clean the unit, the technician may need to safely disconnect the wires. Your Cooper Climate Control technician will mark the wires in such a way that he can accurately reassemble the pieces.
Using the proper tools to clean each fan blade in addition to the space between blades is included in an annual tune up. Depending on the amount of debris we will sometimes vacuum with the appropriate hose end and suck up all the debris and dirt knocked loose during this process. We also carefully vacuum the belts and pulleys in your furnace. Finally, we will wipe the housing surrounding your motor clean. This is particularly important with the motor housing because it prevents excess buildup which may increase heat in the motor area.
The Motor
Cleaning your motor depends on the specifics of your motor. Sometimes your motor will require lubrication. If your motor has oil ports, there are different steps taken than traditional furnaces.
Oil ports ought to be lubricated about once a year. To lubricate the motor we will need to add only two or three drops of a special type of oil. It is also important not to over lubricate your motor.
If you are interested in getting some professional assistance in cleaning, maintaining, or even replacing your furnace, we have the experienced staff you need. With our extensive experience in the industry, Cooper Climate Control can help you with any HVAC needs you may have.
