Fall Is Almost Here: Why Should You Professionally Clean Your Air Ducts And Furnace This Year?

Posted on: 17 August 2018

Even during the early months of fall, the weather can become chilly enough to make you and your home feel cold and uncomfortable. If the air ducts in your living space clog up with thick layers of dust, it can cause serious problems with your furnace. If you have your air duct system and furnace professionally cleaned, you can prevent numerous problems with your heating system. The information below explains why and how you should clean your air ducts and furnace before fall arrives.

Why Should You Clean Your Air Ducts and Furnace?

During spring and summer, your home can quickly become a haven for dust. Not only can dust coat the surfaces of your bedding, furnishings, and appliances, but it can also build up along the interior of your air ducts. Once you switch on your home's heat, dust can pass through your air ducts and into the blower motor compartment inside your furnace.

The motor ensures that cold air returning to the furnace from the inside of the home becomes warm enough to distribute back into your living space. If small particles of dust build up on the surfaces of the motor, it can become enough to cause a thermal overload. The furnace can shut off prematurely, or it can overheat and quit working altogether.

Dust may also affect the hamster wheel–shaped fan surrounding the motor. As the fan spins or rotates, it circulates or forces air toward the furnace's heat-exchanging unit. If thick layers of dust coat the fan's delicate metal blades, it won't rotate fast enough to push air through the furnace. Heat can quickly build up inside the blower compartment and damage the furnace. 

If you act now, you can keep your furnace from failing you this year. 

How Do You Clean the Air Duct System and Furnace?

If you choose to clean your air ducts and furnace yourself, you must be aware of a few things first. Both areas of your heating system can be difficult to access fully, particularly your air ducts. Although you can clean the openings (air registers) of your air ducts, you may not be able to access the parts of the ducts that lie hidden behind other structures, such as your walls and floorboards.

In addition, you must be careful when handling your blower motor and fan. Although the motor is small, it contains various ports, bolts, and other pieces on its surface. The pieces can loosen and fall off if you attempt to unscrew them or accidentally hit them with a hard tool. The fan's blades can warp if you press down on them too hard. It's best to leave this type of job to a professional HVAC contractor.

A contractor will want to inspect your air ducts and furnace before they work on them. If your air ducts are old, cracked, or unsealed, you want to have these problems fixed right away. Damaged air ducts may potentially leak or deteriorate further in the future. Your furnace may also need servicing, especially if it's old. Older furnaces can experience problems with their burners, heat exchangers, and other electrical components over time. Locating and repairing problems now can save you many headaches later.

After the inspection, a contractor will clean your blower motor and fan. If a contractor doesn't clean air ducts, they can direct you to someone who can do the job. But many HVAC companies now specialize in air duct cleaning, so you may not have to worry about having your system cleaned during the visit.

If you need more details about cleaning your air ducts or furnace, contact a company that offers heating repair services in your area today.

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