You rely upon your home furnace to heat your home through the coldest days of winter. For this reason, you should do all you can to keep it working properly and efficiently. Here are some tips to keep your furnace working as it should all season long.

Maintain Your Filter

Your furnace filter is one of the most important parts of your furnace and also one of the easiest to keep clean on your own. Your furnace filter will have a slot that you can easily pull it from to remove it from your furnace; check it periodically to find out when it needs replacing. If you have pets in your home, check your furnace filter once a month at least and inspect the filter for the amount of dust and debris on the filter's screen.

To check if the filter needs replacing, hold it up to the light. If light filters through easily, the filter is still clean, but if the light is blocked due to dust, it is time to change the filter. Also, make sure you have placed the filter into your furnace in the proper position. Your filter will have directional arrows on the filter's side to indicate which way the flow of air will go through the filter while it is within the furnace. If you install the filter backward, the airflow inside your furnace will not flow well and it can cause your furnace to clog with debris to lead to damage to the system. 

Hire a Professional Tune-Up

Anytime your furnace begins to show signs of problems, such as with banging or grinding noises from the motor or the burners not lighting to create heat inside your home, it is a good idea to call in HVAC contractors. They can check your furnace and diagnose its issues to complete the needed furnace repairs. While they are checking your furnace, it is also helpful to request they complete a full tune-up on your furnace. You should get a regular tune-up on your furnace once a year, but if it has been neglected, have this service completed as soon as possible.

During a furnace tune-up, your furnace professional will check your furnace for current problems and potential problems, and replace parts in your system, as needed. For example, they can examine the belts inside your furnace for wear and cracking. If there is cracking, they will replace the belt to ensure its continued function. This prevents unnecessary damage to your furnace, along with a risk of fire or a gas or carbon monoxide leak. They will also grease areas in your furnace motor to prevent friction and unnecessary wear.