During the winter, your home's furnace provides heat, so you and your family can remain comfortable. It's important to maintain the furnace over the years, which you can do thanks to these steps:

Clean/Replace the Filter

The filter on your furnace is responsible for collecting particles to prevent them reaching your furnace. If the filter gets too dirty, your furnace may not work efficiently anymore. This is why it's vital to clean/replace the filter when it gets too dirty.

For reusable filters, you can spray compressed air on the filter so that dirt and debris come off of it. If your filter is not reusable, you need to replace it with a new one. It's important to make sure the filter is the right size, which you can do when you check out the dimensions on the side of the old filter.

Inspect the Pilot Light

Sometimes the pilot light on your furnace may go out, preventing your furnace from even turning on. To fix this issue, you first need to find the pilot light assembly. Turn this assembly off, and keep it off for several minutes. Then, turn the setting to pilot, and get a match to relight the pilot light.

After the pilot is lit again, turn the setting to on. Sometimes the pilot light still doesn't come on after this step. If this happens, something may be wrong with the thermocouple. This is the part that shuts off the gas if your pilot light isn't working like it should. Repairing the thermocouple can be dangerous, so it's best to leave the repairs up to a furnace repair professional.

Get Help from a Furnace and Duct Cleaning Service

In order to keep your furnace working correctly and efficiently over the years, the parts on it need to be clean. Cleaning doesn't have to be physically taxing when you get help from a furnace and duct cleaning company. Some parts these companies will pay particularly attention to when cleaning include the blower motor, blower assembly, belts, pulleys and the motor housing.

These technicians, like those at Just In Time Furnace Inc, will remove the blower, and wash debris and other dirt off the fan blades with water. This step is critical because it prevents the blower motors from burning out. If the particles on the blades are difficult to remove, technicians can use a wire brush. Compressed air may also be used to remove substances that are not coming off the blades easily.

These steps are not difficult to do. Even though they may seem tedious and time consuming, they could save you a lot of stress and money in the future. Your furnace will work great, so you can rest assured your home will be properly heated throughout those cold months of the year.