Frequency of Furnace Cleaning

With some of us being very busy during the calendar, most of us tend to forget how important it is to ensure that your HVAC model system is cleaned and maintained correctly. Whether it is your air conditioner or your furnace, it is mandatory that you keep them clean to maintain and uphold their longevity and efficiency. How often should a furnace be cleaned? You’ll find out.

Most of us tend to focus on our furnaces, especially when they have problems. To prevent such issues, it is necessary that you regularly clean your furnace. However, most of us tend to wonder how often should a furnace be cleaned.

Do you need to replace your furnace?

You should conduct furnace cleaning and maintenance at least every year. Terms of how often you should clean your furnace back at home largely depend on whether or not you have pets and children around your house.

It would help to consider the age of the heating system as most older furnaces need to be regularly checked and maintained. Cleaning your furnace can at least be done once each year, as recommended by most HVAC experts.

How Can One Know if the Furnace Needs to be Cleaned?

You will not appreciate coming home and finding out that your furnace has ceased working because you did not take good care of it and clean it when you should. Down below, we have provided you with the different signs accompanied by a furnace that needs cleaning before they spoil even further.

Debris and dust

Over time, if not cleaned regularly, home items get dirty. Furnaces are no different. Suppose your furnace has accumulated hair, debris, dirt, and dead skin. In that case, this indicates that you should clean your furnace to prevent other more serious problems.

As we have already discussed, to avoid furnace problems you should clean your furnace annually. However, suppose debris and dirt accumulate before the period is over. In that case, you should be in an excellent position to clean your furnace immediately. The dirt build-up on your furnace can cause it to produce loud noises.

You should also check the vents outside and clean any dirt or hair trapped on its frame. Another important furnace component that you should regularly check is the air filters.  And perhaps the ductwork.

If infested with plenty of debris and dust, replace the air filter and then check them monthly.

If the new filter quickly gathers debris and dirt, this indicates that you should clean the whole furnace system.

High costs of energy bills

Most of us wonder why the energy bills are high even though the furnace is not frequently at work. One reason is a dirty furnace that must work harder to heat your home.

The furnace producing yellow flames

Your furnace should typically produce blue flames. If your furnace has orange or somewhat yellow flames, the gas and the oxygen combination aren’t correct. Yellow or orange flames mean that a flame sensor that is dirty or rather a dirty furnace burner.

If the flame sensor in your furnace is dirty, this can cause short cycling meaning that your furnace will turn off and on repeatedly, something you want to avoid. In case yellow flames are experienced, you should be in an excellent position to clean your furnace.

Is Cleaning Your Furnace Worth It?

How often to clean a furnace? The frequency depends on the furnace’s performance or once a year. Cleaning your HVAC system, especially the furnace, will, in turn, save you much money and also keep you and your family safe.

The most crucial responsibility of cleaning your furnace is to avoid your furnace from breaking hence saving money that you could use on repairs. Any debris and dirt accumulated in your furnace throughout the year are removed by annually cleaning your furnace.

Moreover, cleaning your furnace will also give the HVAC professional some indications of future furnace problems.

Furnace tune-up and cleaning will improve the energy efficiency of your furnace. In addition, it extends the longevity the efficiency and longevity of the heating system.

Cleaning your furnace back at home will also prevent some hazardous occurrences. Dangerous gas leakage can occur when the heat exchanger or pipes crack. The cracks develop due to debris and dirt build-ups in the air filter, thus causing your furnace to overwork.

How Long Does Furnace Cleaning Take?

Furnace cleaning in your home can take close to two hours for a professional job. It depends primarily on the size of your home and the furnace condition. A furnace tune-up and cleaning involves:

• Cleaning and inspecting the heat exchanger in your furnace for any blockings or cracks.
• Checking and replacing the air filters
• Ensuring all the furnace safety controls are correctly functioning.
• Cleaning and inspecting the furnace pipes
• Creating an overall assessment of the status of the furnace.

Furnace Maintenance

In terms of how often a furnace should be cleaned, the answer is every two years. For proper furnace functioning and a longer lifespan, we recommend annual furnace tune-ups.

Regular furnace maintenance ensures you and your family stay safe and comfortable and don’t have to worry about furnace problems for quite a while.