Preventive Maintenance Plus Your Furnace Equals Peace Of Mind

Preventive maintenance is one of those pesky tasks that is easy to forget until something goes wrong. You don’t want to wake up to a 50-degree house in the middle of December because your annual tune-up slipped your mind.

Contractors should perform these tasks and more as part of a complete preventive maintenance service:

• Replace your filter – This should be done again about halfway through the heating season but it’s especially important before each heating season.
• Oil the circulation fan – The oil on the fan diminishes over the course of a year and needs to be reapplied every fall for smooth operation.
• Check the heat exchanger – A quick test can tell whether the heat exchanger is expelling heat as efficiently as it should.
• Inspect the blower system – The blower housing, motor and wheel must all be inspected because the rest of the components depend on the blower.
• Tune the motor and belts – Belts should be checked for breaks and elasticity while the motor needs to be in good condition and have proper lubrication.
• Evaluate the ducts – Ducts have to be in good repair, large enough to handle maximum airflow levels and small enough to deliver the conditioned air efficiently.
• Adjust the burner – The burner should be clean and set exactly to manufacturer-specified levels.
• Clean the flue and change the fuel filter – The flue must be properly connected to the furnace with no signs of corrosion. The fuel filter should also be replaced, unless you have an electric model.
• Perform a carbon monoxide test – The gas is a natural byproduct but is a health and safety concern if it accumulates inside your home.
• Clean all buildup and combustible materials, inside and out – Soot and other debris is combustible and should be cleared once a year at the very least.
• Verify proper airflow and performance – The job isn’t complete until the technician tests the system to ensure it’s operating at peak performance.

To schedule your preventive maintenance before winter arrives, contact Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions. We’ve been serving central Florida since 1969 with the expertise and knowledge to help you maximize your comfort and savings.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about preventive maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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