How to Clean a Furnace in 8 Easy Steps (Full Guide with Pictures) | Alpha Mechanical (2024)

Imagine you’re on your way home on the first chilly northern California night of the fall and winter season and you realize you forgot to do a furnace inspection before the cold weather hits. Although you might be nervous to turn on your thermostat for the first time each year, it is essential that you do so while the temperatures are still mild. You don’t want to find out your furnace needs to be replaced or is blowing dirty air and not working properly to be put on a waitlist for heating service or furnace replacement.

If you don’t know how to clean your gas furnace, scroll below to our step-by-step process or call an HVAC specialist to be on the safe side.

In this article we dive for natural gas furnace cleaning or propane furnace cleaning and examining (including a photo breaking down each step), however, most all tune-ups and maintenance on your furnace should be done by an HVAC professional.

Even though there is not a service-wide standard checklist to maintain furnaces, an HVAC technician may examine the following parts: heat exchanger, blow the motor, inducer motor, burners, and code history. It is important that you (as a homeowner) do not inspect or clean your own furnace igniters because they are extremely dangerous parts to misuse.
If you are in need of heating system repair, check out this page for further assistance.

There are several precautions you have to take before you begin cleaning your furnace:

• Always turn off electrical power and fuel before you begin any work on your furnace
• Keep tools and spare parts on hand including the correct screwdrivers to take off the door to the combustion chamber

Before getting started on your gas furnace cleaning, there are some essentials that you’ll need for the job:

• Screwdrivers
• Ratchet & Socket set
• A vacuum cleaner with an upholstery brush attachment
• Small stiff bristle brush
• New return air filter
• Emery cloth
• Lubricating machine oil (needed for old 20-year furnaces)

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Cleaning, changing filters, and lubricating your furnace are fairly straightforward steps in ensuring your unit will work efficiently for the season. It may take you a few hours to become familiar with all of its parts but once you have done it a few times, a furnace cleaning should take 1-2 hours. Ensuring that your indoor air quality is at its top peak, changing the furnace filter quarterly is essential.

If you run into any of the situations below, it is time to consult a licensed HVAC technician:

• Excessive soot: if you notice a build-up of soot has accumulated, this usually is because the burners need to be adjusted or the heat exchanger needs to be replaced. Call in an expert to diagnose and fix the issue.
• Irregular flame: the pilot light flame should be blue; if yours is noticeably yellow or irregular, it can be an indication of dirty burners or a cracked heat exchanger. This also requires professional attention.

Today’s furnaces do not have pilot lights but spark ignition or hot surface igniters. This type of ignition does not need cleaning. Warning: hot surface ignitors should not be touched with bare hands, but handled properly. Oil from your skin will damage the material.

• Short cycling: If your furnace starts running and then shuts down suddenly or unexpectedly it is known as short cycling. Short cycling is often caused by an out-of-order thermostat or an overheating exchanger. When your unit is short cycling, it could be a sign of cracked heat exchanger. Solve the problem, once again, by hiring an expert.

Some signs you need a new furnace:

• Excessive soot in the burner compartment
• Cracks or corrosion in the heat exchanger
• If your energy bill is increasing but your usage of the furnace is staying the same

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Alpha Mechanical has been serving Sacramento homeowners for over 20 years with its expertise. We service people in the Sacramento surrounding regions stretching from Lincoln neighborhoods down to Elk Grove. With quality service, fair pricing and an honest assessment our team is ready to help with any HVAC needs and desires you. Our team provides heating and cooling system repair and installation, furnace replacement services, indoor air quality services and much more with financing options for every customer as well as coupons and rebates. If you’re still unsure on how to service furnace or how often to clean furnace in your home, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help.

When our customers purchase new equipment through Alpha Mechanical, they are supplied with a 10 year warranty on the equipment and parts. In most cases, we provide a 1-2 year free maintenance service plan to clean the system with the purchase. Thereafter, we can discuss our service agreement plans, to maintain the longevity of the system.

However, if your heating and AC system is not maintained regularly, the warranty may be voided. Customers with existing systems can also purchase service membership plans (routine maintenance plans).

Before the crisp cool air settles in around the Sacramento area, make an appointment for your annual furnace inspection and tune-up. If you do not complete a maintenance appointment, your system can wear itself out faster and blow toxic carbon monoxide into your home or quit working altogether. Proper care for your furnace can ensure its lifespan and keep it running at a top-tier level.

Although your furnace system needs to be inspected once yearly, your furnace filter needs to be replaced more frequently (up to 4 times a year) and examined often if you have smokers or pets in the home. Some smart thermostats have the technology which provides internal reminders for when it is time to change out your filter based on how often you run your unit.Or, if you’ve got an aging unit and are considering upgrading with residential heat pump replacement in Sacramento, reach out to Alpha Mechanical to learn more.

HVAC tune up checklist