3 Essential Furnace Airflow Tips

Your furnace is undoubtedly the most important piece of equipment in your home these days. It helps you live a normal life amid a rather uninhabitable climate. However, to keep it running smoothly, you need to periodically maintain the system. And one area of your furnace that needs to be looked after is the airflow.

Four Seasons Air Specialists is your reliable heating company in Vadnais Heights MN. For over forty years, we have been helping homeowners keep their furnaces in great shape and ensure their families’ safety.

Why Furnace Maintenance Matters

Keeping your furnace in tip-top shape is vital to your family’s comfort and safety during winter. As such, failure to properly maintain your unit will compromise your health and well-being.

One of the risks of a lack of furnace maintenance is carbon monoxide poisoning. Also known as CO, carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that is linked to the deaths of 200 Americans every year and sends another 10,000 to the hospital, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

A dirty furnace will distribute carbon monoxide throughout your home, especially if you have a central air system. Even tiny little leaks in your furnace can expose you to deadly amounts of carbon dioxide when inhaled for extended periods. As a matter of fact, excessive carbon monoxide in your blood can be fatal.

While proper ventilation can help reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide present in your indoor air, it’s not enough to completely protect you from carbon monoxide poisoning. Unless your heating system is working as it should, you can still breathe in this deadly gas. The negative effects that can result from this low-level exposure include permanent brain and organ damage. If you have children or elderly at home, they are more susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning than healthy adult family members. What makes carbon monoxide poisoning insidious is that its symptoms can be easily mistaken for those of the common cold, influenza, or exhaustion.

With all these things in mind, you should consider taking necessary steps to maintain your heating system, particularly in terms of its airflow.

Replace your filters regularly.

A dirty filter blocks airflow, which adds pressure to your furnace. It also causes the system to overheat. This issue should not be neglected as it can damage your furnace’s internal parts, including the heat exchanger, a rather expensive part to repair or replace.

Therefore, ensure that your furnace’s filter is regularly replaced, enabling it to have an efficient return-air system. If you have a disposable filter, change it at least once every two months. If you have a reusable one, clean it at least once per week, depending on usage. Keep in mind that filters may need to be regularly checked if your system is constantly in use, is subject to dusty conditions, or if you have furry household pets.

Clean the inside of your vents.

Dirt, dust, and other foreign matters do not only collect in the filter. They can also build up inside your ducts and vents. Those masses of dirt can block the airflow, which in turn adds strain on your furnace to push air past them. To avoid escalating the problem, you can use your vacuum cleaner’s hose to get rid of those contaminants lying inside your vents. This easy step does not only help your furnace perform better, but it also helps clean the air you breathe in.

Give your furnace some room to breathe.

When your furnace is running, it is normal for the physical unit to be a little hot, since it has multiple components running all at the same time. For this reason, try to keep the area around your furnace free from anything that can affect the airflow. Make sure that an area of at least 3 feet around the unit is clear. If combustible items are placed too close to the unit, a fire can start, so keep such items away from the unit.

Professional Furnace Maintenance with Four Seasons Air Specialists

The airflow is only one aspect of making sure your heating system works as it should. There are several other tasks that need to be performed to avoid discomfort and running the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in your home. For your absolute safety, give us a call and schedule a Woodbury HVAC maintenance with one of our teams of HVAC experts. We’ll guarantee your furnace will work according to the manufacturer’s specifications.