Tips on keeping your furnace running smoothly:

• Change or clean your furnace filter
   (Failing to check the filter regularly can be costly: dust and dirt can work their way into the blower and coil assemblies, reducing the furnace's operating efficiency and eventually damaging the motor. )
• Clear outdoor exhaust vents
  ( During the winter, be sure to clear snow and ice away from the intake and exhaust vents outdoors. If the vents become blocked, dangerous carbon monoxide fumes can back up into the house, and the furnace could shut down)
• Schedule an annual tune-up
  (An annual checkup by a service technician is also a good idea - especially if you have a natural gas system. The technician will check the flues and temperature settings, examine the heat exchanger for cracks, and check the safety mechanisms)
• Check the owner's manual to see if the blower motor should be lubricated. If you have an older heating unit, you might need to add a drop or two to each oil port.
• Replace frayed belts (mostly on older units)
• Check flues or vents for cracks or blockages
• Check the condensate drain to make sure it is properly attached and flowing freely

How a Gas Furnace Works

Furnaces keep your home warm in the winter and serve as an important part of your air conditioning system in the summer. In a furnace, gas is combusted in a burner and then heat produced from that reaction passes through a heat exchanger where it is transferred to the air distribution system. The duct work throughout a home carries and disperses the conditioned air and the flue or vent pipe releases the byproducts, such as carbon dioxide and water vapor, outside the home.