Annual maintenance for high efficiency gas furnace

Posted by blueman on October 18, 2009, 4:07 am

We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
forced hot air used to heat our home.

So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
doing the following for maintenance.
1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.

I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.

- Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
are they best left alone if everything is working properly

- Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
perspective?

- Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
(additional) preventive maintenance?

Thanks

Posted by ransley on October 18, 2009, 8:37 am

> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
> forced hot air used to heat our home.
> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
> doing the following for maintenance.
> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
> =A0 are they best left alone if everything is working properly
> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
> =A0 perspective?
> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
> =A0 (additional) preventive maintenance?
> Thanks

Wont a cheap air filter bypass alot of dirt and coat the heat
exchanger reducing its efficency, at least thats my thought so I use
the 4" media, have you ever cleaned the heat exchanger, are burners
burning right, is exchanger temp in the proper range, how about the
blades on the blower fan, are they clean, if dirty that would indicate
a inefective air filter. Im no pro but im sure there are even more
things to do.

Posted by BillGill on October 19, 2009, 9:05 am

ransley wrote:

>> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
>> forced hot air used to heat our home.
>> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
>> doing the following for maintenance.
>> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
>> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
>> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
>> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
>> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
>> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
>> are they best left alone if everything is working properly
>> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
>> perspective?
>> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
>> (additional) preventive maintenance?
>> Thanks

>
> Wont a cheap air filter bypass alot of dirt and coat the heat
> exchanger reducing its efficency, at least thats my thought so I use
> the 4" media, have you ever cleaned the heat exchanger, are burners
> burning right, is exchanger temp in the proper range, how about the
> blades on the blower fan, are they clean, if dirty that would indicate
> a inefective air filter. Im no pro but im sure there are even more
> things to do.

I'm not sure what kind of furnace you have, but the pros aren't going to
inspect the fan, at least not in the one I have. Inspecting the fan
requires rather extensive disassembly. I don't know about the burners,
but I don't think they are easy to get at. In all about all the
pros can do would be to check flow and temperature rise. And I'm not
sure about temperature rise. There is no convenient place to put a
probe just before and after the furnace. They would be pretty much
limited to the air at the return vent and a supply vent.

In fact I think almost all they can do is to replace the filters with
their overpriced filters.

Bill

Posted by Big_Jake on October 21, 2009, 12:14 am

> ransley wrote:

> >> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
> >> forced hot air used to heat our home.
> >> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
> >> doing the following for maintenance.
> >> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
> >> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
> >> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
> >> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
> >> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
> >> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
> >> =A0 are they best left alone if everything is working properly
> >> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
> >> =A0 perspective?
> >> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
> >> =A0 (additional) preventive maintenance?
> >> Thanks

> > Wont a cheap air filter bypass alot of dirt and coat the heat
> > exchanger reducing its efficency, at least thats my thought so I use
> > the 4" media, have you ever cleaned the heat exchanger, are burners
> > burning right, is exchanger temp in the proper range, how about the
> > blades on the blower fan, are they clean, if dirty that would indicate
> > a inefective air filter. Im no pro but im sure there are even more
> > things to do.

> I'm not sure what kind of furnace you have, but the pros aren't going to
> inspect the fan, at least not in the one I have. =A0Inspecting the fan
> requires rather extensive disassembly. =A0I don't know about the burners,
> but I don't think they are easy to get at. =A0In all about all the
> pros can do would be to check flow and temperature rise. =A0And I'm not
> sure about temperature rise. =A0There is no convenient place to put a
> probe just before and after the furnace. =A0They would be pretty much
> limited to the air at the return vent and a supply vent.
> In fact I think almost all they can do is to replace the filters with
> their overpriced filters.
> Bill

I can get a pretty good look at my fan just by taking the door off the
blower compartment. Temperature rise is a snap to check, with a probe
type thermometer. You just use a sheet metal screw (1/2" x #6) like
they use to install the bulk of the sheet metal around the furnace, to
punch a hole in the cold air drop and plenum, and test with the
thermometer. A meat thermometer could be used in a pinch.

JK

Posted by BillGill on October 21, 2009, 9:10 am

Big_Jake wrote:

>> ransley wrote:

>>>> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
>>>> forced hot air used to heat our home.
>>>> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
>>>> doing the following for maintenance.
>>>> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
>>>> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
>>>> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
>>>> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
>>>> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
>>>> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
>>>> are they best left alone if everything is working properly
>>>> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
>>>> perspective?
>>>> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
>>>> (additional) preventive maintenance?
>>>> Thanks
>>> Wont a cheap air filter bypass alot of dirt and coat the heat
>>> exchanger reducing its efficency, at least thats my thought so I use
>>> the 4" media, have you ever cleaned the heat exchanger, are burners
>>> burning right, is exchanger temp in the proper range, how about the
>>> blades on the blower fan, are they clean, if dirty that would indicate
>>> a inefective air filter. Im no pro but im sure there are even more
>>> things to do.

>> I'm not sure what kind of furnace you have, but the pros aren't going to
>> inspect the fan, at least not in the one I have. Inspecting the fan
>> requires rather extensive disassembly. I don't know about the burners,
>> but I don't think they are easy to get at. In all about all the
>> pros can do would be to check flow and temperature rise. And I'm not
>> sure about temperature rise. There is no convenient place to put a
>> probe just before and after the furnace. They would be pretty much
>> limited to the air at the return vent and a supply vent.
>> In fact I think almost all they can do is to replace the filters with
>> their overpriced filters.
>> Bill

>
> I can get a pretty good look at my fan just by taking the door off the
> blower compartment. Temperature rise is a snap to check, with a probe
> type thermometer. You just use a sheet metal screw (1/2" x #6) like
> they use to install the bulk of the sheet metal around the furnace, to
> punch a hole in the cold air drop and plenum, and test with the
> thermometer. A meat thermometer could be used in a pinch.
>
> JK

Well, taking the cover off of the blower compartment on mine involves
removing the air intake and exhaust lines that run down in front of it,
and then unmounting the control circuit board that is mounted on the
cover. Not something to be undertaken lightly.

I realize that I could do something like your description of the
temperature test, but the average tech isn't going to take the time
to go punching holes in the plenum to do it.

Bill

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