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When the Chicago winter comes rolling around, your home will be prone to some devastatingly low temperatures. For this reason, you’re going to need your furnace running at its maximum capabilities.
There are, however, a number of factors which can contribute to a poorly functioning furnace. These need to be negated as soon as possible. Perhaps the most common factor of a poorly functioning furnace is the existence of dust, dirt and grime.
To ensure that your furnace is ready to battle through a harsh winter, you need to get it cleaned.
Looking to clean your furnace by yourself? If so, you’ve come to the right place. These are the 5 steps of a furnace cleaning.
The first thing you’re going to need to do when cleaning your furnace is to turn it off. If you’ve got an electric furnace, it’s as simple as flipping off the switch on its exterior. Turning off a gas furnace requires that you twist the valve on the gas line which leads into the furnace.
Don’t, under any circumstances, attempt to clean a furnace while it’s still powered on. This would be unsafe for a number reasons. Not only will your furnace be exceedingly hot, but you will also put yourself at risk of being shocked.
After your furnace has been turned off, you can begin to clean its interior. This involves unscrewing the cover on the front or back of the furnace and then vacuuming out the dirt in its crevices. You might also want to have a flashlight on hand, as it can often be difficult to see into the intricate parts of the internal machinery.
Make sure to remove any internal component covers so that you can remove every ounce of dirt that you come across. Try your absolute best to get all the way into the back of the furnace.
Your furnace unit isn’t the only thing that you need clean when cleaning your furnace. You also need to clear out the furnace ducts which lead into the unit.
This process can be a little difficult as well as time-consuming. It requires that you turn on the fan in your HVAC system so that dust can move freely through your ducts. You must then unscrew the ducts so that you can reach inside of them and clear them of any residue.
Perhaps the easiest part of any furnace cleaning is the removal and replacement of the furnace filter. Furnace filters are placed in the furnace to catch any large residue which may make its way in. After a while, they will be completely inundated with dust.
Removing a furnace filter is usually as simple as loosening a few screws and pulling out on the filter frame. After it’s been removed, it can be easily replaced with a fresh, new filter.
After you’ve replaced the filter, your furnace cleaning will be completed. The only thing left to do now is to turn the furnace back on and make sure that it’s running smoothly.
Listen closely for any rattling noises. These could be screws that you forgot to put back in. If they’re not dealt with, they can get caught up in the machinery of the furnace and cause serious mechanical issues.
And if you don’t trust your own ability to get the job done, you can always call in a professional.
Are you seeking out a professional furnace cleaning service in Oak Brook? Yes? Then we here at Hearthstone Heating and Cooling are just who you’re looking for.
Our team of seasoned professionals is adept at spotting, fixing, and monitoring problems with furnaces to ensure that they’re always running at their optimal levels. We’ll ensure that your furnace is ready for the coming Chicago winter.
Contact us today!
Wade Joel says:
I loved that you mentioned it is recommended to clean your furnace regularly to prevent problems with your unit. My wife has been thinking about how to improve our furnace efficiency, and we are looking for advice about what to do. I will make sure to contact a furnace expert to help us.
Angela Waterford says:
The last time the furnace in my home was clean was when I first bought it, and that was about two years ago. It’s true that the existence of dust and dirt can contribute to its inefficiency, so this has to be managed. I think I’ll hire a contractor to clean and service the furnace for me so I can make sure that it will work properly when I turn it on next time.
Dylan Peterson says:
I like what you said about turning off your furnace to clean it. My wife and I would like to get our heating system cleaned, but we lack the knowledge to do it on our own. We’ll be sure to look further into our options for professionals who can help us with this.
Randy Chorvack says:
I didn’t know you could get shocked by your furnace if it’s still on while you try to clean it! I’m glad I read this article before I tried to clean my furnace so I know what to do and what things to avoid. I’ll make sure to use caution when I go to do it.
Skylar Williams says:
Thank you for your tip to clear out the furnace ducts that lead to the unit. I think I need to clean my furnace but I wasn’t sure how. In this case, I think I will stick to using a professional service.
Larry Weaver says:
Thanks for the tip to listen for rattling noises when giving your furnace a test run. I’ve been noticing a rattling noise coming from my furnace ever since a huge windstorm passed through my neighborhood. I think something is wrong with my furnace, so I’ll call a professional to fix it right away.
Ashley Johnson says:
I liked that you said that one thing to consider when you have a furnace is to hire professional maintenance. I would imagine that you are correct in saying that routine cleaning will help it to function properly. I would be sure to hire professional help so that the maintenance is done correctly.
Sam Li says:
I like what you said about twisting the gas valve in order to turn it off before cleaning. Fixing a furnace ought to be done with the help of a seasoned contractor. My friend has a faulty furnace, so I’ll help him find a service to repair it in no time.
Sandra Patterson says:
Thank you for explaining that after a while, a furnace filter can become completely filled with dust and will need to be replaced. The furnace in our home has been off for a long time, but when we turned it on the other day it didn’t seem to do anything. We will look into if the furnace filet can be replaced, but I thin we will end up calling a professional to come and take a look at it.
Adrian Jones says:
I like how you mentioned that there are a number of factors that can contribute to a poorly-functioning furnace and that they need to be fixed as soon as possible–the main culprit here being dust, dirt, and grime. One of the most important things to keep in mind is to clean out the interior after the power source has been shut down so you can do this safely. At the same time, it’s also worth calling for a professional furnace cleaner since they have more experience with dealing with how to clean out a furnace without running into any problems. Now that I know what to do when it comes to dirty furnaces, it’s always best to leave this to the professionals just in case something goes wrong.
Kate Welling says:
You said that the process of clearing the furnace ducts can be difficult and time-consuming. I want my house to be a lot cleaner, and I think that air ducts are the best place to start. I have never had them cleaned, so I suspect that they’re nasty! I’m going to look for an HVAC contractor in my area to help me clean the ducts because I am just too busy to do it all myself.
Gillian Babcock says:
My dad wants to have our furnace cleaned because it was used for the whole winter. It was explained here that the furnace should be turned off before cleaning it. Moreover, it’s recommended to hire professionals for quality furnace services.
Silas Knight says:
You’ve got great tips for cleaning our furnace. We’ve never had it cleaned before, and like you said, we want it ready to help us combat winter. To be honest, I’d rather hire a professional to do all of this, but thanks for the information!
Gary Puntman says:
I think it would be a good idea for me to clean my furnace soon. That would probably prevent a lot of safety hazards and issues. I might end up hiring a professional to do it for me. It sounds like you would really need to focus on cleaning each internal component, like you said.
Taylor Bishop says:
Thanks for explaining what should be done if you want to clean a furnace. You mentioned that you should try to vacuum out the dirt in the crevices of the furnace. I’m interested to learn if all furnaces can be vacuumed or if some would need different tools based on how it was built.
Kit Hannigan says:
Wow, I sure didn’t know that cleaning your furnace ducts will involve unscrewing it. leaving the fans on, and then reaching inside it to get rid of the residue. I think this sounds a bit too hard for elderly folks. To save some trouble and my back, I think it will be better for everyone else if I call on a furnace cleaning service to clean out the ducts for me.
Gillian Babcock says:
My parents wanted to make sure that our home is warm this coming cold season. It was explained here that she needs to clean the interior of the furnace. Moreover, it’s recommended to hire professionals for quality furnace services.
Ellie Davis says:
Thank you for pointing out that the furnace ducts also need to be cleaned. My husband and I don’t know how to clean a furnace but need to get it done. I’ll have to look into finding the best contractor to come and clean our furnace for us.
Camille Devaux says:
You made a great point in making sure that you are giving it a test run. This is a great way to make sure that after the cleaning it is working accurately. My sister would love this as she looks for furnace repair services for her new home’s furnace.
Kayla says:
My family wants to add a little warmth to our home because the weather is still chilly. However, our furnace hasn’t been used since last year. It was mentioned here that furnace cleaning is a little difficult and time-consuming. Hence, it will be a great idea to hire a furnace cleaning service to get this chore done.