Furnace Care

A well-tuned furnace is a source of energy savings. The energy-efficiency of your furnace doesn't depend only on its efficiency rating (AFUE) or on the quality of its installation; it depends also on both preventive and professional maintenance.

Oil furnaces don’t burn as cleanly as gas furnaces and require more frequent professional care than their gas counterparts (yearly instead of each 3-4 years).

But both gas and oil furnaces require a regular care, that is, changing the filters, lubrication and cleaning, or the inspection of the chimney stack and possible leaks. You will get important energy savings and prevent safety hazards doing yourself some simple maintenance tasks.

DIY vs. professional furnace maintenance

Some furnace care tasks are simple and can be included in the preventive maintenance tasks carried out by any interested homeowner. Others are not so simple, though involving simple parts such as switches, thermostats, the blower or the belts…

If you aren't comfortable with basic electrical tasks, do not try to handle even some simple maintenance tasks. As to the more difficult maintenance tasks, they should always be left to a heating professional.

Owner’s manual

Before performing any maintenance task, consult your furnace service manual. Do not perform tasks that you don't fully understand. DIY servicing can cost you a lot if you don't know what you're doing.

Simple maintenance tasks

Cleaning the filters is the simplest and more important care you can perform yourself. But DIY servicing can also involve tasks like cleaning the thermostat control, cleaning soot from the stack control or checking the type of smoke...

See, for more details:
DIY Gas Furnace Maintenance
DIY Oil Furnace Maintenance

Professional maintenance tasks

See:
Professional Gas Furnace Maintenance
Oil Furnace Professional Servicing