by Deborah Percy

Created on: October 31, 2009

Furnace maintenance is performing those tasks which keep it working safely, burning efficiently and help prevent unexpected breakdowns. In most respects maintenance of a propane furnace is the same as one fuelled by natural gas, there are some important differences.

For a propane fuelled furnace it is important to monitor the level of gas in store and make sure it does not drop below 20%.

If the tank is allowed completed run out of gas, air and moisture could get in and lead to rust. To run out of gas creates serious safety issues that need to be addressed and it is costly because a more expensive set up delivery must be booked. A resident must be present at this delivery and it could take an hour or so. The set up delivery will involve full safety checks to ensure that there are no leaks. Pilot lights will need to be re-ignited safely after the delivery.

Other maintenance issues which are common to gas furnaces with a forced air heating system are:

To keep clear passage of the flue exhaust ventilation. In order to reduce any risk of carbon monoxide (C.O.) poisoning it is most important to ensure that the emissions can be expelled away from the property.

Check the furnace flame, it should be blue not yellow or orange. If it not blue it suggests that the gas is not being burnt correctly and adjustments are required. It also means that C.O. levels could be being produced and at a dangerously high level.

Furnace filters should be checked and changed on a monthly basis. These protect the furnace, especially the blower, from small particles of debris. If they are not replaced the furnace will work harder due lack of clean air.

Keep the air registers clear of furniture, carpets, curtains and clutter so that air can circulate easily according to the system design. Blocked and closed registers severely effect the performance of the system.

A specialist heating engineer should fully service the furnace annually. This service will make sure the furnace is working correctly and safely. It could identify any worn parts which can be replaced before they malfunction. It will fine tune the appliance to make sure it is working at its best.

Most maintenance tasks are so simple a home owner may do them automatically without thinking about them. Neglecting furnace maintenance can have extremely expensive consequences in terms of repairs and reducing the life expectance of the furnace or other parts of the heating system.

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