How To Clean Your Gas Furnace

Taking proper care of your HVAC equipment is imperative for maintaining the total health and integrity of your property. That means regularly cleaning your furnace. Just like any other part of your home, furnaces can collect dust, dirt, and debris that can compromise their efficiency and your health. And don’t worry; it doesn’t take long. All you need to do is follow five simple steps.

Deactivate Your Gas Furnace

The first step you want to take in cleaning your gas furnace is to deactivate it. You will need to manually turn off all gas and electrical components until the system completely shuts down. Deactivating your gas furnace is for your safety, to help you avoid any potential electrical shorts – or shocks!

Clean Your Furnace Exterior & All Surrounding Spaces

Chances are your gas furnace is quite large, which means it requires a lot of ventilation to function properly. This, of course, means a lot of cleaning. All ductwork and airflow channels should be dust and debris-free. You should vacuum and declutter the surrounding area, removing anything that could restrict airflow. Then, gently dust off exposed electrical components. Compressed air can be effective for removing dust from compact and difficult-to-reach spaces.

Clean Your Blower

Once you have thoroughly cleaned the exterior of your gas furnace, you can remove the metal panel equipped to the front of your unit and access the blower and other interior mechanisms. Carefully remove the blower and use warm, soapy water and a stiff brush to clean and rinse off the blades.

Clean Your Heat Exchange

In terms of importance, a furnace’s heat exchange is at the top. It’s the mechanism responsible for sucking in the cooler air that gets turned into hot air. However, it also tends to suck up a lot of dust. After making sure the heat exchanger is cool to the touch, you can use a stiff brush to dislodge caked-on residue and clean up the remaining debris with a vacuum.

Clean/Replace Your Filter

Finally, the simplest task in your furnace-cleaning checklist: clean or replace your filter. You should do this at least every month or so to prevent any build-up of dust and pollutants that could compromise the efficiency of your furnace or your air quality. Oftentimes furnaces that are suffering unexplainably low performance are treatable with a simple filter change/cleaning.

Does your furnace need more than just a comprehensive seasonal cleaning? If so, our HVAC specialists at Tru Comfort Heating and Cooling are happy to help. Reach out to make an appointment anytime by calling Tru Comfort Heating and Cooling today at (602) 499-7855, or simply fill out the form in the sidebar.