Don’t forget to have your furnace flue swept
Why furnace flue sweeping matters
Any type of heating appliance that involves combustions, whether it’s a wood-burning fireplace or a gas furnace, releases by products that should be exhausted through a flue. When it comes to your gas- or oil-fueled furnace, the byproducts that are released during combustion are highly corrosive. When they are left too long on the walls of your flue, they can cause a thinning of the flue that eventually can lead to holes. A crack or hole in your chimney flue is a dangerous thing because it can allow deadly carbon monoxide to seep from the flue into your home.
When your furnace and its flue haven’t been cleaned properly, it also can reduce the efficiency of your furnace and shorten its lifespan. As with any time of a combustible appliance, furnaces must “breathe” to work efficiently. They draw air in to fuel combustion and then exhaust the byproducts of that combustion. A furnace that can’t breathe will work harder to heat your home, costing you more money in home-heating bills. The lack of efficiency also means that your furnaces is working harder than it should to heat your home, which can shorten your furnace’s lifespan, which can have you putting money into service calls or even a new furnace before you should need to.
How to maintain your furnace properly
Just like you do with your fireplace and chimney, you should be performing annual fall maintenance on your furnace and furnace flue. First, you should have your furnace professionally cleaned and inspected. That means having the flue and combustion chamber swept. The flue pipe should be closely inspected for signs of damage or corrosion. In an oil furnace, the oil filter should be changed. In all furnaces, the air filter should be changed at least once per year, and the blower belt should be checked while the filter is removed. A professional also can test the efficiency of your furnaces combustion and adjust the amount of fuel the burner receives, if needed. In a gas furnace, the burner tubes should be vacuumed. Finally, fall is a good time to vacuum all of the heating grates around your home to make sure they are dust free, which can help improve the efficiency of your furnace and your indoor air quality.
Schedule your furnace flue sweeping today
If you’re not sure who to call to have your furnace flue cleaned, call the home-heating experts at The Chimney Care Co.We can have your furnace flue swept, inspected and ready for the cold winter months.