Wisconsin homeowners know how valuable a reliable furnace is when it’s wintertime. Regular preventive maintenance ensures a heating system runs efficiently while maintaining a comfortable home and avoiding expensive breakdowns. Neglecting maintenance can reduce air quality, increase utility bills, and even lead to dangerous circumstances. Wisconsin winters are harsh and prolonged, but following the right preventive maintenance steps can keep your home safe and warm all season long.
Step 1: Schedule Professional Inspections
The foundation of any seasonal preventive maintenance is a professional furnace inspection. This should happen annually and ideally before winter starts. Professional technicians can identify and manage issues that might not be obvious to you as a homeowner, including electrical malfunctions, carbon monoxide leaks, potential airflow blockages, and damaged or worn components. Your furnace technician can test safety controls, clean essential components, and check the gas pressure.
Step 2: Replace or Clean Air Filters Regularly
Dirty air filters restrict airflow. That makes your furnace work harder with lower efficiency. Most furnaces should have their air filters checked and cleaned or replaced every one to three months during peak usage. If you want to do this yourself, turn the furnace off. Check the owner’s manual to find where the filter compartment is located. Remove the previous filter, and look at its condition. Replace it with a new filter of the right size, and make sure the airflow direction lines up with the arrows. Your technician can make sure you have the right replacement filters and even walk you through this process to teach you. Reusable filters are items you can clean with water, but you need to let them dry before you reinsert them.
Step 3: Clean and Inspect Vents and Ductwork
Proper airflow is important for efficient heating operation. Debris, dust, and pests can accumulate inside your home’s vents and ductwork over time. These obstructions hinder airflow, but they also distribute pollutants and allergens throughout your home. Remove dust buildup by vacuuming registers and vents as part of your normal house cleaning. Regularly check for obstructions and blockages, such as curtains or furniture covering your vents. Think about having professional duct cleaners perform service every three to five years, particularly if you experience frequent allergy symptoms or excessive dust. Your ducts should also be examined periodically for leaks for maximum efficiency.
Step 4: Test Your Thermostat
The thermostat serves as the control center of your home’s heating system. Its accuracy is essential for keeping a comfortable temperature indoors. Your technician might test it by setting it to a higher temperature and seeing how promptly your furnace responds. They’ll know how quickly that should happen from industry experience. If your home doesn’t start warming up as expected, they can start diagnosing potential issues with the furnace and the thermostat. Your technician can also suggest upgrades in terms of smart or programmable models if you have an older thermostat right now. Smart and programmable thermostats would improve control and efficiency in your home by giving you more control over how and when temperature changes go into effect.
Step 5: Inspect and Clean Furnace Components
The blower assembly, flame sensor, and burner assembly are three key internal components that need regular attention if you want to keep your system functioning optimally. Debris and dust can accumulate on the blower blades and motor, hurting efficiency. The flame sensor is a crucial safety device that makes sure the burner ignites correctly. Over time, this sensor can get dirty, making the furnace shut down. Dirty burners can impact your furnaces’ safety and efficiency. These parts require careful handling. Let a technician clean them during a tune-up or maintenance call.
Step 6: Check the Pilot Light or Ignition System
If your furnace is an older model, it might have a pilot light responsible for igniting the burners. Newer models typically use electronic ignition systems. If an ignition system malfunctions or the pilot light goes out, your furnace isn’t going to heat your home as effectively. Make sure your pilot light stays lit and burns with a steady blue flame; yellow or flickering flames might suggest issues with combustion or gas flow. If you have an electronic system, consult the owner’s manual for guidance on troubleshooting or contact a technician when necessary.
Step 7: Ensure Proper Ventilation
A furnace needs to be well-ventilated for safety and efficient operation. Blocked exhaust pipes or vents can result in poor performance and the buildup of dangerous carbon monoxide. Inspect the area of your home around your furnace to remove clutter that could obstruct airflow. Make sure the exhaust pipe outside your house is free of blockages, such as debris, leaves, and snow. Have a technician check internal components you can’t safely access.
Step 8: Seal and Insulate Your Home
Improving the insulation in your home isn’t directly related to furnace maintenance, but it does correlate to furnace workload and performance. Sealing air leaks can minimize how hard your furnace has to work to keep your home warm. Proper insulation keeps the warm air inside your home and prevents drafts from lowering interior temperatures. Consult an insulation professional about weatherstripping windows and doors to seal gaps. Your walls and attic need insulation to prevent heat loss. If your home has unoccupied rooms during the winter, close unused vents in those areas so you direct heat where your family needs it most.
Step 9: Monitor Energy Bills and Furnace Performance
Track your energy bills through the winter. Sudden spikes in costs might happen because of particularly frigid weeks, but they can also occur when your furnace starts working harder than it has to because of maintenance issues. Be mindful of warning signs, such as frequent system cycling on and off, unusual noises and sounds, and uneven heating. These might signal underlying issues. Keep an eye on your energy bills throughout the winter. A sudden spike in costs could indicate your furnace is working harder than necessary due to maintenance issues. Additionally, pay attention to signs like uneven heating, strange noises, or frequent cycling on and off, as these may signal underlying problems.
Step 10: Prepare Your Furnace for the Off-Season
Once you get to the end of winter and no longer need your furnace, start preparing it for the off-season. You want to prevent dust accumulation and keep next winter’s performance efficiency in mind. If your furnace has a pilot light, turn it off. Clean the furnace exterior, as well as the surrounding area, for debris and dust. Schedule your post-season inspection. A technician can identify winter wear and tear on your system and fix it up. They can also handle any off-season maintenance and cleaning tasks you don’t feel comfortable doing yourself.
Enjoy the Benefits of Preventive Maintenance
Preventive furnace maintenance for your furnace gives you energy savings, enhanced system longevity, improved air quality, reliable performance, and increased safety throughout the winter. Investing in this yields significant results. Southport Home Services offers comprehensive HVAC and plumbing services to communities across northwest and southeast Wisconsin. Contact Southport Home Services for all your home’s furnace needs.
