Is your gas furnace running properly?
How well your gas furnace is running has a direct impact on both your energy costs and your family’s health. And it goes without saying that regularly scheduling an HVAC professional to fully inspect and maintain it is the best way to evaluate its performance. Inbetween these inspections, it’s a good idea to evaluate your gas furnace’s condition and performance by using three of your senses:
- Look: Your gas furnace should not show signs of wear, rust or soot deposits. Check the flame color; the color of a properly functioning furnace’s flame is blue. If your flame looks yellow, this may indicate it’s not getting the proper amount of oxygen and is creating carbon monoxide — a dangerous byproduct of poor combustion.
Remember to look at your system’s air filters and make sure they are clean and free of obstruction — this is critical for peak performance and long furnace life. When replacing filters, always make sure to purchase high-quality air filters, because they’ll trap more particulate matter and keep your furnace clean.
- Listen: Furnaces do make some regular recurring noise, but noises such as loud pings, pops, and rumbles are most likely signs of some kind of trouble. If you hear any of these odd sounds, call your HVAC professional immediately and have them do a thorough inspection.
- Smell: If you haven’t fired up your furnace in a long time, you may smell a bit of dirt, dust and smoke as residue burns off. However, if these smells continue for a long time, or you smell gas, shut off your furnace and call a professional.
You should perform these evaluations every month. It will only take a few minutes of your time and you may just spot a small problem before it becomes a big, expensive one.
