Furnace Maintenance Checklist

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Furnace Maintenance Checklist

A furnace is not a household appliance. It is complex and requires professional maintenance and repair. Attempts at “do-it-yourself” repairs on an in-warranty unit may void the remainder of your warranty. Other than performing the simple maintenance recommended in this manual, you should not attempt to make any adjustments to your furnace. Your dealer will be able to take care of any questions or problems you may have. A periodic inspection of your furnace should be made by a qualified service agency at the start of each heating season. In the event that electrical, fuel, or mechanical failures occur, immediately turn the gas supply off at the manual gas valve located on the gas pipe leading to the furnace before turning off electrical power to the furnace. Contact a qualified service agency.

A Clean Furnace Filter Saves Money

Help ensure top furnace efficiency by cleaning the filter regularly.When the unit circulates the air and your air cleaner filters the air in your home, dust and dirt particles collect on the furnace filter or your air cleaner filter. Excessive buildup forces the system to run longer to maintain your set temperature. And you end up paying for it. The manufacturer’s recommend to replace your furnace filter once every six months for top performance and efficiency of your unit. Help ensure top efficiency by cleaning the filter once a month. Clean it twice a month during seasons when the unit runs more often. You can clean the filter with a vacuum, OR you can wash it with a household detergent. NOTE: Not all aftermarket filters can be washed with a household detergent. See the instructions supplied by the aftermarket filter manufacturer. When replacing your furnace filters, always use a high velocity type which are the same size as originally supplied. Filters are available from your dealer. Where disposable filters are used, they must be a high velocity type which are the same size as originally supplied.

General Inspection

1. All flue product carrying areas external to the furnace (i.e. chimney, vent connector) are clear and free of obstruction.
2. The vent connector is in place, slopes upward and is physically sound without holes or excessive corrosion.
3. The return air duct connection(s) is physically sound, is sealed to the furnace and terminates outside the space containing the furnace.
4. The physical support of the furnace should be sound without sagging, cracks, gaps, etc., around the base so as to provide a seal between the support and the base.
5. There are no obvious signs of deterioration of the furnace.
6. The burner flames are in good adjustment without erratic flames. See illustration below.
7. Fresh air inlet and vent are not blocked and free from obstruction. The horizontal or vertical vent and inlet must be located at least 12 inches minimum (18 inches in Canada) above the normally expected snow accumulation level.
(Contact Impressive Climate Control service technician if you feel you are uncomfortable performing any of the inspections noted in section 1 & 2.)

To ensure proper operation of your furnace, the recommended furnace inspection is once a year, before the heating season. Regular maintenance must be performed by our qualified & licensed gas service technicians. The technician should perform steps 1 & 2 plus steps 1-8 once a year before the heating season. The homeowner should perform the visual inspection in step 1 & 2 monthly when cleaning the furnace filter.

Unless it is an emergency, never stop the heating system by shutting off the main power.

If the main power to your air conditioner is ever disconnected for more than three hours, turn off the thermostat. Then wait for at least three more hours after the power has been restored before turning the thermostat back on. Failure to follow this procedure could result in damage to your furnace.

  1. BLOWERS – The blower size and speed determine the air volume delivered by the furnace. The blower motor bearings are factory lubricated and under normal operating conditions usually do not require servicing. If you have an older furnace, an annual cleaning of the blower wheel and housing is recommended for maximum air output, and this must be performed only by our qualified service technicians.
  2. IGNITER – This unit has a special hot surface direct ignition device that automatically lights the burners.
  3. BURNER – Gas burners do not normally require scheduled servicing, however, accumulation of foreign material may cause a yellowing flame or delayed ignition. Either condition indicates that a service call is required. For best operation, burners must be cleaned annually.
  4. HEAT EXCHANGER/FLUE PIPE – These items must be inspected for signs of corrosion, and/ or deterioration at the beginning of each heating season by one of our qualified service technicians and cleaned annually for best operation.
  5. CIRCUIT PROTECTION – If the blower or gas valve fails to operate, the cause could be the circuit breaker or a loose or blown fuse. Replace the fuse or reset the circuit breaker.
  6. OPERATION – Your warm air furnace should not be operated in a corrosive atmosphere. Paint solvents, cleaning chemicals, spray propellants, and bleaches should not be used in the vicinity of the furnace during normal operation.
  7. CONDENSATE DRAINS – If you have a cooling coil installed with your furnace, condensate drains should be checked and cleaned periodically to ensure that condensate can drain freely from coil to drain. If condensate cannot drain freely water damage could occur. The furnace drain should also be checked and cleaned at the start of each heating season.
  8. AIR CIRCULATION – To ensure increased comfort, the blower on this unit may be operated continuously for both heating and cooling. This will result in constantly filtered air and aid in maintaining more even temperatures by avoiding temperature stratification throughout the conditioned area. To accomplish constant air circulation, set your comfort control fan selector to “ON.” Continuous fan mode during COOLING operation may not be appropriate in humid climates. If the indoor air exceeds 60% relative humidity or simply feels uncomfortably humid, it is recommended that the fan only be used in the “AUTO” mode.

Contact our office today to set up an annual furnace maintenance appointment and have our qualified technicians to tune up your furnace for the extreme cold winters in our city “Ottawa”.

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