General Upkeep For Furnaces

Come fall and winter season, it is crucial that your furnace is working correctly and producing sufficient heat to warm your house. If your heating system stops producing heat or is blowing cool air, there are a variety of possible offenders, beginning with your thermostat. Learn ways to fix the issue prior to you freeze!

What To Do

For starters, once a year, vacuum out the location around the heater's blower. If possible, also move out the fan system, clean each fan blade with a tooth brush, then vacuum with a brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner. While you're at it, look for oil ports on the motor, usually located near the motor shaft.

If the motor has these, apply 2 to 3 drops of non-detergent motor oil into each port (you may need to get rid of a cover plate to do this). Many contemporary motors do not require lubrication, do oil motors with oil ports when a year. For more about upkeep, see Maintenance Checklist for Central Heating Systems.