professional gas furnace servicing

Besides the basic DIY maintenance tasks that any interested homeowner can perform on their gas furnaces, there are the typical professional gas furnace tasks.

Have a professional to inspect and service your gas furnace at least once every 2 to 4 years. You will be largely paid in energy savings. They are of paramount importance for energy savings, efficiency and home safety.

Gas furnace service inspections

The heating professional will inspect the gas furnace burners, the heat exchanger, the safety controls, the gas inputs, the combustion chamber (looking for cracks) and the CO levels...

He will look for rust (in the burner and in the manifold area), soot and leaks (in the heat exchanger and venting system), misalignments, debris, dust (in the burner) or obstructions and blockages in the venting system.

Checking the gas input as well as the flame/pilot is also important for adjustments.

Venting system

Sealing possible leaks in the vent connectors and in the chimney is very important. Replacing the vent pipe or even the heat exchanger can be necessary, in some cases. Looking for cracks, pipe separation, and other deterioration signs in the venting system is also part of a regular professional maintenance.

Heat exchanger

The service technician should inspect the heat exchanger passages and the burners, looking for signs of corrosion. Any leaks involving the heat exchanger should be fixed. In some models the heat exchanger should be removed for inspection.

Furnace controls

Adjusting the controls of your furnace is crucial to get proper air temperature settings. If the inspection reveals more than 100 ppm of carbon monoxide (CO), the source of the problem should be found and fixed.

Blower cleaning and oiling

Oiling the blower and cleaning it – removing dirt, soot and corrosion - are also basic tasks of any gas furnace professional maintenance.

Blower adjustments and repairs

Problems with the blower should be fixed by cleaning it, and by adjusting the gas input and by solving the causes of possible high CO levels and soot (often caused by leaks in the venting system).

Sealing Servicing

Cracks and leaks should be conveniently air sealed. The professional technician should pay special attention to possible chimney cracks and to the connections between the main ducts and the furnace.

Cleaning Servicing

The motor, the blower wheel, the air filters or the flame sensor (on electronic ignition units) of any gas furnace should be cleaned on a regular basis by the homeowner or... by a professional technician.

See:
Furnace Care
DIY Gas Furnace Maintenance
DIY Oil Furnace Maintenance
Professional Oil Furnace Maintenance