Furnace Maintenance Tips

Before starting any kind of routine maintenance or cleaning make sure you have taken the proper safety precautions, such as turning your appliance off. If at any point you question what you are doing or think you might damage your furnace or hurt yourself, do not proceed. Call us and we will be happy to provide routine furnace maintenance for you. At Vailes Heating and Air your safety is the priority please call us with any questions before attempting maintenance that you are unsure of.

Change the Filters
The first thing you should do for your gas furnace, or any of your HVAC systems, is to change the air filter. This should be done at least once a year, but as many as 3 or 4 times depending on the manufacturers specifications. The air filter traps dust and debris from entering the furnace. As debris collects on the air filter it begins to restrict air flow, and anything that restricts airflow decreases the efficiency of your system.

Inspect the Burner Flames
Activate the burners by turning up your thermostat and inspect the flames. They should be even and blue. Don’t try to adjust the burners yourself, if the flames are not blue or not even call us or request service online and have one of our professional technicians inspect it.

Clean the Pilot Light and Flame Sensors or Hot Surface Ignitors
If you have an older furnace you will have a pilot light, however most new-model furnaces will have a hot surface ignitor. The goal here is to remove dust and debris. Carefully blow dust away from the pilot light; you can use a straw to get a centralized airflow. The same goes for the hot surface ignitors. The ignitors are very fragile so do not remove them, simply blow away any debris or dust that has collected.

If you have any questions or think you may be in danger of damaging yourself or any part of your furnace, please contact us and we will have a professional technician come service your system.

Technical Maintenance
We recommend a seasonal inspection and clean and check by one of our technicians. One of our certified professionals will be able to inspect and repair anything else that may be needed to keep your unit running efficiently. We also recommend having your ducts cleaned once a season, as well as having your insulation checked and all leaks repaired.

You should have your furnace inspected before every season. Call us at (540) 942-0198 or request service online.