How to Clean a Furnace

When it comes to furnaces it is very important to keep your furnace cleaned on a regular basis. Not only will a dirty furnace become less effective but it can cause the filters to clog, the heat emitted could be dusty and much similar to the smell of burning, while also taking much more electricity or gas to function in comparison to its original state. This article will help you understand exactly how you can clean your furnace and prevent yourself from having to buy a new one.

Clean The Filter

Being the filter is the main component in your furnace providing clean heat and not just circulating dust and dirt throughout your home the filter should be one of your top concerns on keeping clean. The reason a dirty filter will induce the electricity to go up in price while using the furnace is due to the fact that the overall engine which powers and runs the furnace will need to work harder to get though all of the built up dirt. You can clean a filter by removing from inside a furnace traditionally you will find that your furnace has some form of an access panel which allows entry into the furnace to the filter. When removing the filter and cleaning you can use a traditional non-toxic cleaner and rinse well making sure to remove any caught lint and loose dirt before applying any liquid to to the filter. If you do apply liquid first you will not be able to remove lint as easily due to the lint sticking and clumping on and inside the filter.

How To Replace Disposable Filters

Some furnaces actually come with disposable filters which are only intended to be used for a specific amount of time and then exchanged for a new filter. This could in fact be more beneficial to cleaning being disposable filtered furnaces tend to have a much more easily accessed filter which can just slide out from a sliding panel. Usually you cannot just clean the filter instead you should return to the store which you purchased your furnace, this store should carry replacement filters which are usually to be replaced anywhere between 4 and 6 months time, sometimes one year depending on the brand of furnace and filter. When placing the new clean filter into your cleaned furnace simply slide the filter in the same way you had removed the old filter.

Cleaning the Blower or Fan

Next you will want to clean the units which pull in air through the back or bottom of the face, and push air out of the front heating unit. The blower is a fan meaning if the blower is dusty it is going to blow dust out of your furnace along with air. Before cleaning this fan remember to unplug or remove any source of power which could give your furnace the ability to turn on. If your furnace is somehow battery powered make sure there are no batteries in the battery compartment also. When accessing the blower you will need to remove the front panel of your furnace, this means you will most likely need to loosen some screws so have screw drivers handy for this job. Once you have opened your furnace you will need to unscrew and remove the actual fan, remembering to unplug the fan from the motor beforehand. You can clean the blower with simple soap, water, and a tooth brush.

Cleaning the Rest of the Inside Furnace

Before placing your blower back inside your furnace you should take advantage of the free space you have just opened. If you have a low power hand vacuum this is a good tool to remove loose dirt. For the rest of the furnace use a well rung out damp cloth or towel to scrub out any remaining dirt or grime.

Betsy Cline

Betsy Cline has been a professional house cleaner for 15 years and also a mother of 4 amazing kids (who make lots of messes). She is the founder of How to Clean It and loves to share tips and advice for cleaning up anything life throws at you.

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