Learning About HVAC Equipment

Your electric furnace needs to have regular maintenance just like a gas furnace does. You may not have to worry about soot buildup or gas leaks, but you still need to keep the parts in good shape so your furnace doesn't break down due to neglect. You can keep up with minor maintenance yourself over the course of the winter and have furnace maintenance done by an HVAC technician every year in the fall. Here are some ways your electric furnace may need to be serviced.

Clean Away Dust And Cobwebs

It's important to keep your furnace clean. It may accumulate cobwebs and dust while it's inactive over the summer. You can keep the equipment clean yourself as long as your furnace is in an easy place to access.

This includes changing the filter regularly and vacuuming or dusting the vents on the panel. The inside may need to be dusted too, but you may want to leave that for the technician if you don't feel safe taking the panel door off.

Inspect The Wiring And Fuse

When the furnace maintenance technician removes the panel on your furnace, they can see many wires and the fuse. This makes it easy to inspect the damage to the wiring that might have been caused by mice or bugs. They can also check the fuse and replace it if necessary. They'll make sure the wiring is tight and make good connections.

Check The Blower And Motor

The blower fan needs to be checked to make sure it isn't too dusty. If so, the technician may need to scrub the blades to get the fan clean. They'll also check that the fan hasn't vibrated loose and is tight and spins easily. They can also visually inspect the capacitor and fan motor to look for abnormalities. They may need to lubricate the motor or change the belt on the fan if the belt looks frayed or old.

Inspect The Burners

It's important for the burners to be in good shape and working optimally so your power bills aren't too high. The furnace maintenance technician will check the burners and the parts that assist with operation. If a part looks bad, they can test it with a multimeter. If necessary, worn parts can be replaced so you don't have to worry about them breaking down over the winter.

Check The Thermostat And Ducts

Once furnace maintenance is complete, the technician may turn the furnace on to check it for operation and to test the thermostat and ducts. Thermostats can get dirty inside or a wiring might get loose and cause it to malfunction. The technician wants to ensure the thermostat is operating properly so your furnace turns on and off as it should.

Leaks in ducts are important to find and seal too. If the air coming from the registers isn't very strong, that could indicate a duct leak the technician needs to fix. 

For more info about furnace services, contact a local company.