A furnace maintenance checklist serves as a guide to determine which furnace components need to be repaired, cleaned, or adjusted. With a checklist, it is also much easier to find the root cause of indoor air quality problems.
Chimney sweeps carry out regular maintenance every year to detect any damage that can lead to inefficiency and accidents. A furnace maintenance checklist lists all items that need to be checked. Depending on what type of oven the homeowner uses, the checklist may vary slightly. An oil or gas oven has certain parts or features that are not present in an electric oven.
A furnace maintenance checklist also helps property owners by giving them an idea of what to expect when it comes to preventive maintenance on their furnaces. You can also use a checklist to check your ovens from time to time to ensure they are running efficiently.
This article explains the following points:
1. Why maintaining a furnace is important
2. What belongs in a furnace maintenance checklist
3. A digital tool for better oven maintenance
Why is oven maintenance necessary?
Heating devices such as stoves are the most common cause of fires in homes. The main cause of such fires is the failure to clean, maintain, and inspect ovens.
Like any appliance, an oven gets old and is subject to normal wear and tear. If it is not properly maintained, it may fail much earlier than the warranty period. A furnace that is not properly maintained can quickly break down.
A defective oven is often the cause of many other problems, such as the following:
1. Impairment of indoor air quality
Indoor air quality is critically important because it affects the health, well-being, and productivity of the people who live and work in a building. One of the main factors affecting indoor air quality is a poorly maintained or operated furnace system.
A furnace that is not regularly serviced annually may develop gas leaks, which is very dangerous. Prolonged exposure can cause headaches, vomiting, and, in the worst cases, death.
Without a furnace maintenance checklist, there is no clear standard for inspection, which often leads to negligence. Worse, the problem is discovered at a hopeless stage, turning a small repair into a major one.
2. Loss of manufacturer’s warranty
Some high-quality ovens come with a 10-year warranty. With regular and proper maintenance, they can last up to 20 years.
On the other hand, a poorly maintained furnace can become problematic and fail before the warranty period expires. In this case, the manufacturer’s warranty is void and the owner does not get the desired result that he or she was hoping for.
3. Increase in energy costs
A furnace can account for up to 50 percent of total energy costs. In the winter, when the air is much colder, it can use even more.
However, a well-maintained furnace runs more efficiently and uses less energy. For example, a furnace maintenance checklist reminds homeowners when to change filters, calibrate the thermostat, and check the gas pressure.
These simple things can increase the efficiency of the device and therefore lead to significant savings. They also prevent frequent and costly repairs.
4. The heating system becomes inefficient
If you have your heating checked before the onset of winter, you can rest assured that your home will be warm and comfortable, even when it gets bitterly cold outside. It also ensures that the oven does not break down during the night because it works smoothly thanks to maintenance.
What belongs in a furnace maintenance checklist?
Gas, oil, and electric ovens have some different features or components. However, the following points belong in every oven maintenance checklist:
1. Check and calibrate the thermostat
The thermostat indicates whether there is something wrong with the furnace system. It controls the oven, so you want to ensure it performs at its best.
Increased energy consumption indicates that the thermostat is either defective or needs to be calibrated.
The thermostat will lose its calibration if dirt gets inside or is accidentally bumped. The thermostat should be checked and calibrated at least once a year. The best raw material and cost efficiency is achieved by installing a computer-controlled thermostat.
2. Check burner
Energy efficiency depends on the stove’s burners. Undetected leaks lead to corrosion or rusting on the burners.
A red or orange pilot light, a hissing noise, and a smell reminiscent of rotten eggs are some of the most common signs that the burners leak.
3. Tighten all connections
Loose connections cause a heating system to become inefficient. That’s why this check shouldn’t be missing from any oven maintenance checklist. It should be ensured that the electrical connections are tight and in perfect condition.
4. Reinforce insulation
Good insulation keeps the house warm in winter. Inadequate insulation causes the heating system to work overtime. Good insulation can help save money and reduce operating costs.
5. Seal shafts
Studies show that 10 to 30 percent of the air from the furnace system escapes through leaky ducts. This damage can affect the overall performance of your furnace and also increase energy bills. Therefore, this is one of the most important items on the oven maintenance checklist.
The duct system that channels heated air throughout the home becomes damaged over time. When this happens, the air becomes contaminated with microscopic pollutants that can trigger asthma or other allergies.
6. Change the filter
Changing or cleaning the filter improves the circulation of indoor air. Failure to do this can place additional stress on the compressors, which in turn can lead to mechanical failure.
A digital solution for oven maintenance
Preventative furnace maintenance contributes to efficient and safe operation. However, proper documentation of maintenance results is sometimes neglected or maintenance work on ovens is not carried out regularly. With Lumiform, the mobile and powerful application for testing and auditing, these and other challenges can be overcome:
- Generate real-time oven maintenance data. This makes the quality and reliability of the maintenance work measurable and you continuously optimize the processes based on the data.
- Automatically generate reports after maintenance – this saves all follow-up work.
- Increasing the efficiency of internal processes: Through more efficient communication within the team, with third-party providers, and with the homeowners, as well as faster reporting of incidents, you can repair any damage that occurs up to 4x faster than before.
- Continuously improve quality and safety: The flexible form construction kit allows you to constantly update and optimize your oven maintenance checklist.
