Sick of Furnace Repairs? Consider These Tips

As any handyman would tell you, proper maintenance is still the best way to prevent mechanical problems in your furnace. What constitutes “proper maintenance” is an entirely different story, however, because some people tend to neglect simple things like cleaning and lubricating. Others may be wise enough to remember these two tasks, yet they might also not have the proper know-how.

In any case, furnace cleaning is a rather meticulous undertaking. Simply dusting off the filters and ports won’t be enough to remove all the grime and germs that the furnace has accumulated throughout the course of its service life. The device needs to be disassembled so that each component can be cleaned, especially the blower assembly which accumulates the greatest amount of dirt and grime.

Meanwhile, quite a lot of Utah residents also have to clean their furnaces because of inversion pollution during winter. Some areas like Salt Lake City get literally blanketed by air pollutants during bouts of cold weather, which results in an even greater density of particulates that need to be removed from furnaces.

Furnace motors also need to be lubricated annually to keep them in good condition. Non-detergent motor oil is commonly used, although people should avoid using all-purpose oil that isn’t optimized for furnace components. Depending on the manufacturer, some furnaces may be permanently lubricated and sealed, thus making regular lubrication unnecessary.

-        www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/us/utah-a-nature-lovers-haven-is-plagued-by-dirty-air.html?_r=0