Photo: Contributed - Hugh Cairns

Dirt is the biggest enemy of your furnace. It can waste fuel and drastically lower efficiency. Dirt affects all three basic components of your furnace, so cleaning is the most important part of regular maintenance.

It’s kind of funny, but during home inspections, visiting parts of the house is kind of like meeting old friends and seeing how they are doing. I suspect that in a lot of cases I’m the first one to open up an attic hatch and pop in to have a look. Kind of like an attic Jack in the Box. Another area that receives few visitations is the furnace room.

I’ve met a lot of residential heat sources in my time. Forced air electrics, geothermals, radiants, baseboards and wood stoves to name a few. But the most popular ones in our area are forced air gas furnaces. They rely on a series of switches, controls and a burner system to warm up houses.

Usually heating systems are trouble-free and easy to maintain. But to get efficient operation you need to look after your furnace and have it serviced. No matter what type of furnace you have, there are several things you can do to keep your heating system in top condition.

Most of us are able to change the filter but some maintenance is best left to the professionals. Keeping your furnace running properly can save you a lot of money on heating costs and helps avoid expensive repairs in the future. There are a host of HVAC companies in our area that offer competitive rates for furnace servicing – most of them at just over $100. That’s a pretty good value.

Dirt is the biggest enemy of your home's heating and cooling system. It can waste fuel and drastically lower efficiency. Dirt affects all three basic components of the system, so cleaning is the most important part of regular maintenance. Lubrication and belt adjustment at the furnace are also important.

Modern heating equipment is very sophisticated. The well-equipped service technician has an array of electronic measuring devices and tools to properly service these units. Most important, annual heating inspections can save your life and the lives of your loved ones. Small cracks in a heat exchanger or problems with the flue system could allow deadly carbon monoxide gas to seep into your home.