3 Midwinter Furnace Maintenance Tips

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When my wife and I had finally saved up enough cash to move from an apartment to a house, we were very underwhelmed with the homes available in our local market. We weren't sure if we could afford to build a new home, but we spoke to a local contractor and decided it was actually a great option for us. We signed another year lease at our apartment complex and had a lot of fun choosing all of the options for our new home. We learned a lot about the home building experience during this time and, since we loved the experience so much, we decided to create a blog to share our tips and tricks for navigating the world of home building with other people who need the help designing their new homes. Come back often for new posts!

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3 Midwinter Furnace Maintenance Tips

31 January 2022
 Categories: , Blog

Midwinter is a good time to take a few minutes to check over your furnace and get it ready to warm your home for the last remaining weeks or months of winter. Taking some time to check on the furnace can save you from a late-season heating breakdown and ensure you finish out the heating system warm and snug at home. 

1. Check the Burner

For gas and oil furnaces, heating efficiency can be lost if the burner has become dirty or if the fuel valve is dirty. Remove the cover on the furnace so you can view the burner and then turn up the heat so the furnace comes on. If the flame in the combustion chamber is burning evenly and blue, then there is no issue. On the other hand, flickering flames or those burning yellow or orange indicate an issue with the burner or fuel valve. Scheduling maintenance to clean up everything can lead to more efficient and effective home heating for the rest of the winter season.

2. Clean the Filter

Air quality can begin to plummet in midwinter. Depending on your filter type, you are likely changing it at one to three-month intervals. Unfortunately, changing the filter may not be enough if some of the debris is lodged inside the filter housing or has been pulled into the furnace. Use a vacuum hose attachment at the midwinter filter change to fully clean out the housing before putting in a new filter. If it still seems like there is a lot of dust or debris circulating through the furnace, you may need a maintenance visit so a technician can fully clean out the furnace. 

3. Inspect the Vents

Hopefully, in the fall, you took the time to make sure all the vents and air returns in the home were open and unblocked. After several months and a holiday season, some of those vents may have ended up closed or blocked by furniture. Take some time to walk through the house and check every vent to make sure it is open and unobstructed by furniture, curtains, or other items. This is also a good time to use a vacuum hose to clean out any dust and debris that has fallen into the vents thus far, which will lead to cleaner air circulating throughout the home. 

Contact a heating maintenance service if you think your furnace would benefit from a mid-season tune-up or maintenance visit.