Cincinnati Furnace Tune-up Service

Furnace filters are extremely helpful in removing particle pollutants from the home’s air supply. Many people think furnaces have air filters just to benefit indoor air quality, but that’s just a secondary benefit. The main function of air filters is to protect the sensitive parts inside a furnace or air conditioning unit from debris buildup tracked into the system by circulating air. Loose material like this can restrict component performance and efficiency as well as damage delicate parts.

You need to replace furnace filters on a regular basis – most furnace systems use a disposable air filter. How often new air filters are needed depends on the manufacturer’s recommendation, furnace use, and the home’s indoor air quality. You may need to install a new air filter more often during the coldest period of winter and the hottest point of summer versus the spring and fall seasons when temperatures are mild, and the furnace and air conditioner get a break. If your household includes various sources of air pollution, like smoking cigarettes or housing inside pets, air filters will naturally fill up faster.

Closing supply floor registers to cut off heat in specific areas of the home is an HVAC old wives’ tale spread to homeowners hoping to reduce energy costs. It doesn’t work because the furnace in your home is made to heat every connected part. Closing off a vent does not signal the furnace to create less heat. 

Open vents keep air moving through the house and back to the furnace for superior heating. Regularly check all supply and return vents and make sure they are open and are not obstructed. If louvered vent covers stick and obstruct airflow, remove floor registers and clean them to hopefully free up the slats for adjustment – if cleaning doesn’t work, replace the cover. Don’t set large furniture over or in front of vents and remove rugs that cover floor vents.

If you use natural gas or oil heat, carbon monoxide detectors should be installed in the home. When the fuel supply doesn’t completely combust in the furnace, carbon monoxide naturally forms. Proper maintenance keeps combustion gases sealed in the heat exchanger and flue so they aren’t mixing with the air supply, but problems like a cracked heat exchanger could allow air and carbon monoxide to mix and make their way into your living areas.

Maintain carbon monoxide alarms so you’ll be alerted to the presence of this gas should this issue occur in your home. Each month, press the test button and verify the alarm will sound. Replace batteries in each unit every six months. If the carbon monoxide detector fails to sound when you perform a test, replace it right away – otherwise, replace each unit every five to seven years.