Furnace Inspection Heating & Cooling (Central Air) Maintenance (HVAC)

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A Guide to Maintaining Your Natural Gas Furnace 

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Before you have a heating problem, call your heating contractor to perform a regular maintenance check of your natural gas furnace or boiler venting system:
  • Motorized equipment, like your heating system, requires regular adjustments, burner cleaning, parts replacement, repairs, venting inspection, and other checks.
  • Licensed experts know your equipment and the necessary codes to follow.
  • Your contractor can help make your equipment operate with peak efficiency, last longer, and save you money year after year.
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 Four easy things you can do between checks
  1. Clean or replace the air filter on your forced-air furnace every one to two months. A dirty filter reduces airflow and makes your furnace run longer.
  2. Allow for unobstructed airflow near hot air registers, return air grills, radiators, and baseboard heaters.
  3. Brush and vacuum the heat exchanger surface.
  4. Check ducts for leaks and wrap with Aluminum Metal Repair Tape (not regular duct tape) Find Ducts & Vents Contractors. Get Up to 4 Quotes Now. It's Quick, Free, and Easy!
  5. Small leak - soapy water on each join, will bubble to locate leak

Using Ceiling Fans to Save Money

In the WINTER
Set the fan to run counterclockwise (this looks clockwise as you are looking up).

In the Summer
Set the fan to run clockwise (this looks counterclockwise as you are looking up).

 

If you have a gas furnace and you smell gas:

Do not try to fix it yourself.

Open windows and get out of the house. Take children and pets with you.

Do not turn on lights or switches.

Call the gas company from a neighbor's house or a cell phone outside the house.

Do not return to the house until a professional has examined your home.

             

Preventing Carbon Monoxide

Prevention is the only way to deal with carbon monoxide, and the best prevention is regular inspection by a service technician.

An appliance could produce carbon monoxide if: 

Boxes, laundry or other materials are blocking the base, restricting oxygen flow.

The vent hood, pipes or flues are blocked or corroded.

The unit is installed or adjusted improperly.

It's used incorrectly (i.e., heating a room with a gas stove).

The heat exchanger is cracked.

Natural gas furnaces should be inspected every year; other appliances, such as water heaters, clothes dryers and stoves, should be checked every two years.

If you have a natural gas fireplace, it should be serviced regularly as well.

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Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you have natural gas appliances, a carbon monoxide detector is a must for keeping your family safe.

These devices work like smoke detectors, sounding an audible alarm if a certain level of carbon monoxide (CO) is detected.

No electric to my furnace but I turned it on

The door of the unit is not closed properly - there is a safety switch

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1.Check the pilot light to make sure it's lit. You may need to relight it.

2.Make sure the thermostat is set to heat. Set the temperature higher than the actual room temperature. This will kick start your gas furnace on and will begin to warm your home.

3.Check the emergency switch to make sure that it is on.

4.Check your fuse box to see if any circuit breakers are flipped the wrong way or to make sure a fuse hasn't blown. Reset the circuit breaker or change the fuse if need be.

5.Make sure the furnace is turned on. Look for the power button.

6.Reset the blower motor. The motor may have overheated, so wait a few minutes and try resetting it again if the motor does not start up.

7.Check the thermostat to make sure it is on and is set for at least three degrees hotter than the registered room temperature.

     

8.If all these steps don't work, call a professional HVAC technician for a service check.

If heat is coming from the vent, but not enough heat

Check the thermostat to make sure it is set to the right temperature.

Check the heating registers - make sure they are open and nothing is obstructing them.

Check the filter. Change it if it's dirty.

If these steps don't help, call a professional HVAC technician and ask him or her to check the blower and the overall system.

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If the motor is running, but you can't feel any air moving

The belt that connects the motor to the blower may be broken.

If you feel confident changing a belt yourself, you can do so (check your manufacturer's specifications in the owner's manual).

Call a HVAC technician if you are not comfortable taking this on yourself.

If the furnace keeps cycling on and off repeatedly

Try cleaning / replacing the filter.

Watch to see if the room temperature is vacillating significantly.

Indicates a thermostat or heat anticipator problem.

Call a technician to see if it's a thermostat or furnace problem.

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Your furnace blower is constantly blowing air

Make sure the switch is not on "fan". Switch it to "auto" and see if that fixes the problem.
The limit switch may need adjusting. Your technician can show you how to adjust that.

Furnace blowing out cold air

Could be short cycling. The T-Stat anticipator may not be set correctly, causing short cycles and warm to cool air

Change the thermostat settings and/or batteries or thermostat. (take back to store and get money back if not the problem)

 If the furnace squeals

A belt that connects the motor to the fan may have slipped or may need to be repaired.

Furnace will not ignite

The pilot is not getting any gas flowing to it.

Replace the smart valve

Replacing the pilot light

If the ignitor is broken or badly discolored replace it

Disconnect the wiring harness

remove the hex screws

Insert the new ignitor

One of the rooms is colder than the others

The room is not properly insulated

Make sure the register in the room is open and clear of objects

Check for blockage in duct work

Install a secondary fan in the duct work pushing more heat to that room

Check duct work joins for leakage

If the furnace is rattling

 Check the registers and make sure the panels are screwed on tight.

Ask your HVAC technician to insert flexible, soft ductwork so the metal ducts won't make so much noise. Metal ducts can be very noisy.

 Call a professional if the troubleshooting techniques don't work.

Thermostat is not working?

Replace the battery

Replace with new thermostat (one you can take back to the store and get your money back if that is not the problem)

The pilot light keeps going out

Replace the thermocouple 

The furnace comes on and fires up for a few seconds then goes out

Take out flame sensor. Clean the surface with fine emery cloth and replace.

What's checked in a furnace maintenance check? - Your licensed contractor typically inspects

  • Heat exchanger
  • Tests for carbon monoxide
  • Visible gas pipes for leaks
  • Electronic ignition system
  • Fan, motor, bearings, belts, pumps
  • Air filter, electronic air cleaner
  • Burners, pilot
  • Pilot safety system
  • Furnace controls
  • Power exhaust
  • Flame pattern
  • Venting
  • Chimney
  • Heat rise
  • Thermostat
What can I expect to pay a HVAC heating and cooling specialist?

DIAGNOSTIC  $50*
Basic service charge to come out to your home inspect the furnace tell you what's wrong and give you a flat rate estimate for the repair
 
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION  $100*
Complete safety inspection and maintenance on gas or electric furnace  inspect heat exchangers, clean burners, pilot orifice, vacuum lines, blower end bell, vacuum burner enclosure and blower compartment...

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Furnace Tune-ups help prevent breakdowns and potential hazards to your home and family.

    

     

Plug in a carbon monoxide / gas detector near your gas furnace.

Your heating contractor is your connection to answers
Ask your contractor

     

 

Electric Home Furnaces

  • Turn off electric furnace. You have to flip the on-off switch on the furnace itself, and not just turn the thermostat down.

  • Check for burnt out wires and parts. Electric furnaces, and the wires that keep them running, handle huge loads of electricity, the wires burn out and sever the connection. Check for burned or loose wires to make sure that your problem is not simply a matter of wiring.

  • Test furnace elements with an ammeter. An ammeter is a simple device that lets you troubleshoot an electric furnace by seeing exactly which wires are drawing current. Test each of the wires to see which is not drawing current properly. Replace any wires that you find to be defective.

  • Check breakers and fuses inside the heat handler. Another common problem with electric heating is that the fuses gone bad. The fuses are cylinders with metal on either end. You can use a multimeter to test each of the fuses or buy new ones to replace the old ones.

Mobile Home Furnaces

These furnaces are designed and approved for use in mobile homes. (Mobile homes have smaller ductwork than other homes, and require special furnaces designed to move air through them appropriately. Only furnaces approved for such usage should be installed in mobile homes.

Home Furnace Humidifier

In the cold winter months, the dry air that arrives with the season can cause sinus discomfort, static cling problems and itchy, dry skin. Furnace mounted humidifiers keep air throughout your home moisturized and comfortable. But these machines require maintenance and troubleshooting for reliable service. If the humidifier can't keep air moist enough, troubleshoot the problem.

  • 1.Turn up the humidifier's humidistat if it is not set high enough. For some units, the humidistat will be separate from the humidifier, located on a central wall in your home or integrated with the furnace's thermostat. For others, the humidity level can be adjusted with a knob on the humidifier itself. Turn up the humidity level if possible and wait to see if that corrects the dry air problem.

  • 2.Turn off the furnace and humidifier and disconnect both from their power sources. Inspect the humidifier and its power wire to ensure all components were properly reassembled after the previous winter. If it was unplugged, try plugging the unit in and testing it. If the unit's power wire is cut or fraying, contact a heating and cooling specialist to replace the wire.

  • 3.Check the humidifier's water inlet valve. Furnace mounted humidifiers have water sources that can be shut off like a hose, and the valve might be sticking out from the wall behind the furnace or attached to the unit near the water inlet. Open the humidifier's water valve if it is closed.

  • 4.Check the unit's water reservoir to see if the level is too low. If the water is too low, fill the reservoir with cool, clean water.

  • 5.Open the humidifier's bypass damper if it is closed. This is a large valve that allows air and humidity to pass out to the home from the furnace. Over the summer, this damper could be intentionally or accidentally closed, preventing airflow once winter arrives. In addition, some machines have internal controls for the bypass damper that could malfunction and stick closed.

  • 6.Remove the unit's evaporator panel or pad and check for debris, residue and other materials that could clog it. This piece of the humidifier is typically located near the top of the unit, and air is blown through it while it is damp to humidify the air. If the panel or pad is clogged, clean or replace it.

  • 7.Plug the humidifier and furnace back in, power the units on and test to see if the unit is now working properly. If it does, monitor it during the season in case the problem reoccurs. If not, contact a heating and cooling specialist for assistance.

    •   Air Conditioning / Central Air       Get 3 FREE Cooling Estimates Now!

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    Central air conditioners are made up of two separate components: the condenser unit,
    located outside the house on a concrete slab, and the evaporator coil above the furnace.

    Most central air conditioners are connected to a home's furnace. Thus, the same motor, blower, and ductwork used for heating your home are used to distribute cool air from the air conditioning unit. When a central air conditioner is operating, hot air inside the house flows to the furnace through the return-air duct. The hot air is moved by the blower across the cooled evaporator coil in the furnace and is then delivered through ducts to cool the house.

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    The evaporator and the condenser are sealed. Therefore, a professional service person should be called for almost any maintenance other than routine cleaning. Turn OFF power, clean leaves and debris, trim away any bushes near C/A. Central air conditioners should be professionally inspected and adjusted before the beginning of every cooling season. There are maintenance procedures you can follow to keep your system operating at peak efficiency and therefore saving money! Install a programmable thermostat. If you use it to set back the temperature by 10 degrees for eight hours every night, you'll lower your heating bills by 10 percent. A digital thermostat can pay for itself in energy savings in less than a year.

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    Central Air A/C Maintenance

         Turn off power

    1. Clean out any leaves and dirt in and around the unit

    2. Wash the outside with water (garden hose) and soft brush

    3. Optionally have your ducts cleaned to keep the dust down.

    4. Make sure the the unit is not leaking

    5. Cut back any bushes / objects away from the unit to allow air to get in

         When should I add refrigerant?
    • If you need to add refrigerant (it's not blowing out cold air) you have a leak that needs to be repaired!
    • In theory you should never have to add freon but there can be some residual loss. Maybe after 4 to 9 years?
    • note: this can only be done by a professional you cannot do it yourself!
    Should I cover my Air Conditioning / Central Air Unit in the cold months?

     It is not necessary unless you are in an area of a lot of dead leaves flying around - you can cover the top

    A/C unit is buzzing

    Replace the capacitor

    Check for oxidation and dirt build up on the contacts

    Central Air A/C Tips

    1.     Ceiling fans help circulate the cold air

    2. Attic should be properly ventilated

    3. Proper venting of soffit on the home and not blocked by paint

    4. Keep the blinds closed

    5. If it does not run cold enough recharge the refrigerant

    6. Disconnect the fuse during winter to stop it being accidentally turned on. If you turn on in winter it will not work the following season (the freon is frozen)

     Life expectancy for an A/C unit

         Units in cooler climates tend to last 15 to 18 years. In warmer climates the range is usually 11 to 15 years

         Attic Fans

         For the hot months of summer try a whole-house attic fan. This device pushes hot air out through attic vents, lowering the temperature throughout your home about five degrees in less than ten minutes. Attic fans cost less than $1.00 per day to operate. Attic Fans are more effective than you might think.
    Air Duct Cleaning

      

    Do I need my ducts cleaned?

         Duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems or make the system more efficient, however you can clean;

         If there is visible mold on the ducting or parts of the heating and cooling system.

    If ducts are infested with vermin

    The ducts are clogged with dirt and debris which is released through the air vents


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    Also check out yahoo answers for more specific problems or call a service technician.

         Caution: Before doing any work on an air conditioning system, make sure the power to the condenser and to the evaporator assembly is turned off.

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