Every year in the fall before you need your furnace for heating you should turn it on and make sure it is running in good working order.
Performing an early Fall Checkup not only provides you with peace of mind that your heater will work on that first cold night but it will also improve its efficiency saving you money.
Depending on your fuel type Gas or Oil you will want to go through a number of steps and possibly have the unit serviced by a professional. It is important to perform this early enough that you beat the mad rush of people that turn their furnace on for the first time when it gets cold and then service crews are backed up throughout the fall and winter.
For Oil fuel units you may also get your hot water heating from the same unit. If so your heater needs to run throughout the year. In this case you can perform your checkup in the summer months and possibly get a discount on cleaning from your service company.
Because Fuel Oil burns dirty you will need to have the internal parts of your system cleaned by a professional. They will clean the parts of the furnace that attach to the flue and they will also clean and check the oil filter and screen. Your chimney will also need to be inspected and cleaned. If you have a masionary chimney they should inspect the whole interior for cracks and broken mortar just like they would inspect a wood burning fireplace. Carbon Monoxide is sent up through the flue and a good flow of air is necessary.
Once they have cleaned the unit they will check for the proper flame conditions and make any adjustments to the burner as needed.
Another thing that you should have checked is the ballasttank and proper pressure in your baseboard heaters. Sometimes air can get introduced into the system and this will cause hammering noises and reduce efficency. If you hear clicking or tinging noises coming from your baseboard radiators when your heater operates this is probably due to the metal fins touching the housing or each other. They can be fixed and straightened with a special tool or a putty knife.
On Gas Fired High Efficiency units the process is pretty quick and cleaning of the unit and the chimney is not often needed. Most new units will use a PVC pipe that exits the home at ground level so check that this chimney pipe is clean and free of any surrounding bushes. If you have an older unit you may need to have your chimney checked out.
There is usually no need for servicing a gas fired heaters internal parts unless there is a problem with the unit. Sometimes you may need to replace a blower which is one of the hardest working parts especially if you have an air conditioning unit stacked on top of the heater.
Changing your filters should be done at least once a year if not every 6 months. You can also have your heating ducts cleaned with a vacumm device that will remove dust buildup but also remove any dirt and sawdust that got in during construction of the home. Cleaning ducts on new homes is almost manditory because carpenters, drywall crews and all the rest of the workers see an open vent as a trash receptacle. Even if you don’t hire someone to do the work using a shop-vac with a long hose will get more garbage out of your HVAC system then you can believe.
If you hear popping when your forced hot air heater is running this is due to the heating of the duct work and expanding of the metal parts. Often all that needs to be done to cure this problem is to find an offending duct hanger and adjust it. Sometimes there may be too much pressure on the duct by an extra hanger being installed other times it may be a loose hanger which you can cure by yourself if you can get to it in the basement.
Final Note
Whether you have Gas or Oil Heat it is important to use a programmable thermostat to reduce your fuel costs. You should program your heater to lower the temperature before you wake up in the morning. Residual Heat will remain in your home and provide good warmth until you leave the house. You can install a 7 day programmable thermostat that can change to meet your daily or weekend schedules.
If you are away for more then a day you should lower the temperature to 45F to 55F as available for your unit. You need to have enough heat in the home to protect your plumbing from bursting but there is no need to heat your home more then that when you are not there.
Check our other HowTos for information about zoning your system and solar heating.
The YouRepair Store carries a full line of furnace products including: Thermostats, Filters and hard to find parts and products.