Before the winter season arrives, performing a basic furnace maintenance check-up will put your mind at ease. You want to make sure the furnace is safe, efficient, and well-maintained enough to keep your home warm in the colder months. If any problems are detected, you still have time to repair the furnace before the temperature starts to drop.

Ideally, you should call an HVAC technician for a comprehensive furnace inspection. However, there are several basic furnace maintenance tasks that you should be able to perform on your own. These tasks are simple and straightforward enough for any handy homeowners with basic knowledge. Of course, if you don’t feel comfortable doing these tasks, don’t hesitate to bring in a professional for their expertise instead.

The following are six basic furnace maintenance tasks that you can perform for this upcoming winter:

Task #1: Inspect the burner flames.

You should take a moment to inspect your furnace at least once a year, or preferably at the beginning and the end of the heating season. Your first basic furnace maintenance task is to inspect the burner flames. Start by turning off the power of your furnace. Then, remove the combustion chamber door. If your furnace has a burner cover, you will need a screwdriver to remove it as well.

Now that you can see the inside of the burner, turn on the power and turn up your thermostat. Put yourself at a reasonably safe distance, and then take a close look at the flames of the burner. Be careful not to breathe on them. The flames should be blue and even. If they are yellow, it could be because the burners are dirty. You will need to turn off the power and clean them thoroughly.

Task #2: Clean inside the furnace.

Most of the basic furnace maintenance tasks involve a lot of cleaning. Dust and debris may have gathered inside the furnace, so you need to unclog any parts to ensure the system is in working order.

Start by turning off the power and shutting off the gas valve. Then, use your vacuum cleaner to clear all the dust you see on the burners and at the base of the furnace. If you notice some black powder inside the cavities, it might be a sign that something is wrong with your furnace.

Your furnace may have a squirrel-cage blower, which is notorious for getting clogged with dirt and dust. You should remove the screws and bolts, lift out the blower, and clean it thoroughly. Using a small brush, gently clean each blade of the blower. You should then use your vacuum cleaner to remove the loose debris and residue dust.

Task #3: Clean or replace the furnace filter.

The filter of your furnace should be cleaned once at the beginning of the heating season. When it’s being used continuously, you should also keep cleaning it once a month. If the furnace filter is too dirty or seems damaged, you need to replace it with a new one.

Task #4: Inspect the different components of the furnace.

Your next item of business is to inspect the other furnace components more closely. This should be a quick inspection, just to make sure all the parts are in working condition before putting them in place. Be sure to check the belts, the wiring, and the switches. If you notice rust or damage on any of the individual parts, they will need to be replaced.

Another component that demands your attention is the motor. If the motor of your furnace is sealed, you don’t need to lubricate it. If your motor has oil ports, it should be lubricated once a year. You will most likely need to lubricate the blower shaft as well. Simply remove the caps, add a few drops of lightweight machine oil in the ports, and replace their caps.

Task #5: Inspect your ducts and ventilation systems.

Checking the ducts of your vent system is another inspection that you should perform. If the ducts are clogged with debris, they will have to be cleaned by a professional. Occasionally, you may detect leakages in the air ducts. In which case, you can use metal tape to seal them shut carefully. If you are unable to locate or repair the leak, ask a professional to fix it on your behalf.

Task #6: Call an HVAC professional for repairs.

While these basic furnace maintenance tasks can be performed on your own, you are still advised to seek professional help for the more demanding problems. If you notice anything wrong during your inspection, call an HVAC professional to repair the furnace as soon as possible.

Preventative maintenance is the key to a fully functional furnace with years of longevity. You should repair any small issues before they have a chance to become worse. Most importantly, this is the best way to make sure your furnace will perform properly during the winter season.

Have you ever considered the quality of the air that we inhale into our bodies? In the outdoors, it can be difficult to control the air quality with so much environmental pollution from cars, factories, and power plants across our cities. When we are safely indoors, it is much easier to manage the quality of the air. With the help of certain indoor air quality products, you can turn your residence into a little oasis that smells and feels rejuvenating.

The indoor air quality is so important because it can greatly affect your mood, your health, and the overall feel of your home. If you have noticed more headaches, dizzy spells, or other inexplicable health problems, this may be due to the poor air quality inside your living quarters. Without realizing it, you may have breathed in harmful airborne toxins that are detrimental to your well-being. In these instances, you should have the air in your residence tested carefully and inspected thoroughly.

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As the outdoor temperature begins to drop, this is a sure sign that the winter season will be fast approaching. Before it gets too cold outside, now would be a good time to make sure your furnace is in good working condition. Almost an entire year has passed since you last used the furnace. There is a chance that your furnace may require some minor repairs or even major replacements.

Even though some homeowners forgo the furnace inspection process, this is not recommended. Without these routine check-ups, you are putting your furnace at risk to potential malfunctioning in the future. Many furnace problems can be easily fixed during the inspection, but only if they are spotted early. By the time winter arrives, and your furnace suddenly breaks down during the coldest day of the year, you will regret not performing these repairs sooner.

A furnace won’t usually break down overnight. There are often cautionary signs that indicate a problem within the furnace, which necessitates a deeper furnace inspection. Before your unit comes to a halt, the following signs may alert you that something is wrong with your furnace:

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Uneven temperatures can make your home feel extremely cold in January and overly hot in July. In most cases, the culprit is a fault or an inefficiency in your HVAC system. Uneven temperatures can manifest in a freezing basement, insufficient airflows in upper rooms, or a kitchen that’s always too warm.

You deserve to be comfortable in your own home. However, these fluctuating temperatures could be inconvenient, frustrating, and may even lead to illnesses. To help you diagnose the problem, a HVAC professional can inspect your systems and perform the proper maintenance that will restore the temperature in your home.

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It’s no secret that HVAC systems consume a lot of energy. If you are looking for ways to reduce the amount of energy consumed, regular HVAC maintenance should be on your to-do list. The scheduled maintenance will ensure your systems are performing at optimal levels. It will also save you money on costly repairs by detecting smaller issues before they escalate.

Ideally, you should hire a professional to inspect your HVAC system once or twice a year. Heating systems should be inspected in the fall season, while cooling systems should be inspected when spring arrives. Regardless of the season, there are several crucial tasks that must be performed during the inspection. Here are six essential tasks in your HVAC maintenance checklist:

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A lot of people complain when the air feels too humid. However, having some humidity in your home could be good for you. Humidity keeps your skin moisturized and balances the temperatures in the house. On the other hand, excessive humidity presents its own set of problems and challenges. If there is too much humidity in your house, the air might feel very uncomfortable.

It can be hard to strike a good balance, especially if you live in a place that is known for having higher levels of humidity. Fortunately, there are products and services available for assessing and managing your indoor air quality. It is possible to rein in the high levels of moisture in your home, thereby making sure that your house remains cool and comfortable during the summer months.

The key is to find the ideal home humidity levels that work best for your living quarters. Here are the seven best ways for making sure humidity doesn’t take over your house:

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Every time you get home and turn on your air conditioner, your expectations are high. You expect to get sweet, fresh air to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. It can be quite the unpleasant experience when you are greeted by odious air conditioner smells instead. These smells then get transferred into the air, leaving your entire house smelling like a sewage.

Where are these smells coming from? There are several reasons why your air conditioner could be emitting those awful smells. An HVAC professional will be able to diagnose the air conditioner problems in greater detail. In most cases, one of the following reasons might explain why your air conditioner smells so badly:

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The sweltering heat of the summer months makes you rely on your air conditioning system more and more. However, even when your air conditioner is running well, it might not be pumping out cold air the way it should – or used to. If you feel like your air conditioner isn’t doing its job, the problem may be due to some inefficiencies in your AC system.

When a faulty air conditioner is not working efficiently, your energy consumption could skyrocket to unmanageable levels. Not only is this harmful for the environment, but the air conditioner inefficiency will have a negative impact on your energy utility bills as well. If your utility bills are higher than expected, the main culprit could be an inefficient air conditioner.

To maximize your air conditioner efficiency, make sure you understand the different AC components and how to keep them functioning optimally. A professional HVAC service can inspect your air conditioning system to ensure all the components are working optimally.

For additional help, below are five tips to improve your air conditioner efficiency in a smart way:

1. Clean the air conditioner.

As with any other household appliance, air conditioners get dirty. Grime, dirt, dust, and other gunk can and will build up in your AC, making it difficult for fresh air to get out and cool you down. To make sure this does not happen, you should be cleaning the air conditioner on a regular basis. This type of air conditioner maintenance should occur a few times during the season.

Before cleaning, make sure you turn off the electricity flowing to the air conditioner. This is to prevent electrocuting yourself or shorting a fuse. After cleaning, let the moisture dry and then turn the unit back on. You should be able to feel a noticeable difference in temperature afterwards.

2. Clean or replace the air conditioner’s filters.

A dirty air conditioning filter could slow down the airflow of the unit. When dirt and other debris build up in your air conditioner’s filter, the system will use more energy since it must work harder to supply you with the same quality of cold air.

The dirty air filters can be cleaned or replaced. There may be a need to replace the filters if their physical condition deteriorated significantly. You can use your judgement when it comes to how often you do this, but once every month is a good rule of thumb.

3. Clear any obstacles to the airflow.

Debris can compromise the overall efficiency of your air conditioner. The air conditioner should be cleared of any debris that interferes with the unit. It’s a good idea to make sure that no trees, shrubbery, and other foliage could be blocking off the unit’s air vents. The goal is to unblock any obstacles to the ventilation and maintain a steady flow of air for maximum air conditioning efficiency.

The air conditioner fins keep the cold air flowing smoothly out of the AC and into your home. If you haven’t been enjoying the same cool air that you are used to, open your air conditioner and inspect the fins. If they are twisted, bent, or broken, you’ve found the culprit. Once the fins are returned to their normal state, you should have better airflow from your air conditioner.

4. Keep your air conditioner away from the sun.

Your air conditioner may be exposed to hours of direct sunlight on a bright and sunny day. The natural heat from the sun may contribute to the inefficiencies of the AC system. When your air conditioner is in contact with the sun, it must work overtime to cool and condense the refrigerant coming out of the compressor discharging the heat from your home.

Both central air conditioning machines and window units need to be kept away from the direct glare of the sun as much as possible. Try to place either unit on the east or north side of the house in order to accomplish this. If there are any trees nearby, they can provide some shade onto your AC units.

5. Adjust your thermostat upwards.

During a cooler summer, you can adjust your thermostat temperatures upwards by a few degrees. This setting could save you some money, since you are using less resources from the air conditioner. Whether you can tolerate a warmer room temperature depends on your personal temperament. Most people won’t notice a significant difference in room temperature if you only increase it by one or two degrees.

If you have a programmable thermostat in your household, you can automatically adjust the indoor temperatures to reflect the different times in a day. During the hours when you are away from the home, adjust the thermostat appropriately to ease the pressure off your electricity utility bills.

If your air conditioner is showing signs of wear and tear, there are many risks involved with keeping an old air conditioner running in your home. In addition to an old system being prone to malfunctions and diminished efficiency, it’s also more likely to just stop working altogether.  

An entirely new air conditioning unit can be expensive and is a significant financial investment. Many people are reluctant to go through with a new unit, especially if your current one doesn’t look that bad. You may have convinced yourself to put up with the old air conditioner for a while longer, just to save yourself the money and the hassle. However, there are many risks for keeping an old air conditioner.  

Below are 8 dangers of old air conditioner that may persuade you to replace it with a new one as soon as possible: 

1. Old Air Conditioners & Bacteria

Not only will an old air conditioner work with less efficiency, there are significant health risks posed by running an old AC unit. Rain and hot temperatures make these air conditioning systems breeding grounds for bacteria. Old units tend to build up bacteria, fungi, and pollen over time. These microorganisms continue to increase over the period that the system is in use. 

Although not all types of fungi can produce infections, there are plenty of dangerous types that find their way into the airflow and intake ducts. To minimize these old air conditioner dangers, routine cleaning and maintenance should be performed on a regular basis. 

2. Respiratory Health Risks Related to Old Air Conditioners

While there are many people that have strong, healthy immune systems, not everyone can withstand poor air quality. For people suffering from medical conditions such as bronchitis or asthma, where an old AC unit can be a threat to their health. They can be highly susceptible to lung infections or asthmatic flare ups. 

Since your AC unit pushes air throughout your entire home, it is easy for bacteria to spread through the air, reducing the air quality. If they continuously breathe in these harmful toxins for a long period of time, it will only make their pre-existing respiratory problems even worse. A way to fix this and lessen the risks is to repair, clean or replace old air conditioners.  

3. Old Air Conditioners Contain Ozone-Depleting Refrigerants

A lot of air conditioners in homes older than a decade are original systems. Your AC unit could be and most likely is older than your current kitchen appliances. While a lot of old technology contains volatile chemicals that are horrible for the environment (think Freon in retro fridges). This can go for your AC unit as well. Many old air conditioners contain ozone-depleting refrigerants, which are unsafe for home use.

In the last few years, a lot of these old units have been phased out, but many older homes still have old air conditioners that contain harmful chemicals. Modern air conditioning systems contain much more environmentally friendly and contain ozone-friendly refrigerants.

4. Old Air Conditioners Are a Fire Hazard

The mere fact your air conditioner is old means it probably has outdated parts, such as broken fans or faulty heating pipes. If these parts aren’t working properly, excessive heat may accumulate within your AC system, causing temperatures to rise to a dangerous level. This will increase your chances of the system catching on fire. 

The electrical wiring in air conditioning systems will also deteriorate over time. The wiring is often hidden somewhere within the unit, making it difficult for you to check it yourself. Because they’re hard to diagnose, these issues can go unnoticed very easily. It only makes sense that old wiring systems can be a major fire hazard.  

5. Sickness Caused by Old Air Conditioners

If you ever walked into a building and felt like it was making you feel sick, you have experienced a phenomenon called the ‘sick building syndrome’. This sickness is associated with a range of unrelated symptoms that include skin irritation, headaches, breathing problems, nasal congestion, and fatigue.

The sick building syndrome is caused by a buildup of airborne microorganisms in air conditioning units. Some people are more sensitive to these effects than others, especially if they have a pre-existing condition.

6. Old Air Conditioners Equal High Electricity Bills

Besides the physical danger of an old air conditioner, the fiscal risks are also worth mentioning. The older an air conditioner gets, the less energy efficient it becomes. The electricity bill of a 10-year old air conditioner is higher than that of a newly installed one.

Newer air conditioning units tend to be more efficient in energy consumption. Some of these new air conditioning units are equipped with energy saving features that had not been discovered when the current air conditioner was installed. Replacing your old AC unit means you get to enjoy the advanced features that will save you money on utility bills.

7. Temperatures Could Become Unbearable

It makes sense that old air conditioners may not run as they once did, and it’s true. Due to factors such as wear and tear, an old air conditioner can’t perform the way it used to. This means temperatures in your home could get extremely unbearable, either too hot or too cold. Apart from making your home uncomfortable, an old air conditioner means you’ll spend money on operating a system not doing the job it was built to do. In this case, making the investment in a new unit would be the best option. 

8. Old Air Conditioners Break Down Easier

Even if your AC unit has been working well the last 20 years, it’s no excuse to keep it. As old air conditioners can contain a variety of toxins, chemicals and more. Your air conditioning unit won’t last forever. After consecutive years of hard work, the parts will eventually start wearing out one way or another. Some of these repairs may be minor, while others could be a lot more serious and severe.

Either way, spending money to constantly repair an old air conditioning unit is not wise. You are better off disposing the old air conditioner and replacing the system altogether.