[Easy] DIY Heater Maintenance

Without care and maintenance over the years, your heater is far more likely to fail at an early age and force you to invest in a replacement unit. You want your heater to perform efficiently for many years, and you can achieve this by paying attention to the health of your heating system.

Trahan’s Heating & Air Conditioning encourages our community to schedule professional heater maintenance twice a year, but your unit can benefit from more care! Between tune-ups, there are some simple DIY preventative maintenance habits you can perform that will boost your heater’s health and extend its lifespan. Try out a few of these tips and see the difference it makes!

Replace Your Air Filter (Often!)

During your Houma heater tune-up, our technicians make sure to clean out or replace your air filter. However, your air filters really need to be kept clean more frequently. Set a reminder for yourself to check on the filters every couple of months. If they’re coated in dust and debris, replace them with new filters. You can purchase air filters at most hardware stores — and even some grocery stores!

If you have several pets, young children, or household members that have a respiratory vulnerability, consider checking your air filters more often. You might be surprised by how much grime is removed from your air after only a few weeks or a month!

Wipe Down Your Heating Unit

Whether you have a furnace or a heater that’s part of an HVAC system, the physical unit collects a lot of dust and dirt throughout the year. For outdoor units, clear away tree branches, leaves and other large foreign objects. Examine the unit for any dents or holes, and watch out for any strange noises or smells.

With a furnace, make sure the area around the unit is clear. If you feel comfortable, open up the panel to the combustion chamber and use a vacuum to clear out the dust and dirt. Be very careful not to disturb any of the delicate parts that allow combustion to occur!

Check The Pilot Light

Keep an extra close eye on how your gas furnace is performing to avoid any gas leaks or dangerous risks. One indication that the gas supply or combustion process is faulty is the pilot light. The pilot light should always be blue when your unit is running correctly. If it turns yellow or flickers, the ignition process might be failing or the gas might not be entering the heater when it should.

Test Your Heater Function

Nothing is worse than needing your furnace during a cool front and finding out it isn’t working correctly. You can try to avoid this inconvenience by periodically testing the function of your unit. Change the thermostat to signal the heater to turn on. Keep an eye on how long the warming process takes, how strong the airflow is and how accurate the thermostat is. Heater repairs can pop up anywhere in the heating system, so a pro should examine anything out of the ordinary.

Healthy Heater Habits

Here at Trahan’s Heating & Air Conditioning, we work to be available for your heater maintenance needs. We also know that our customers can make a big difference with just a few quick cleaning habits. If you have questions about maintaining your heater or would like to schedule a tune-up, give us a call!