How to Clean a Home Furnace

The furnace is one of the most important and costly systems in your home. A properly maintained furnace will keep your family warm for decades. The Minnesota Office of Energy Security recommends cleaning the blower every month the furnace is in operation, while "The Family Handyman" recommends cleaning the filter monthly. While most furnace repairs are best left to professionals, homeowners can easily take on the chore of cleaning their furnace themselves if they follow a few guidelines.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum cleaner with hose for attachments
• 1/2-inch diameter flexible tubing, 2 feet long
• Replacement filter
• Duct tape
• Ratchet and socket set
• Soft cloth
• Drinking straw

Instructions

1. Open the filter compartment, usually between the return duct and the furnace itself. Remove the filter and hold it up to the light. Discard a disposable filter or vacuum clean a replaceable filter you can't easily see through. Slide your new or cleaned filter back into its slot and replace the compartment door. The Minnesota Office of Energy Security recommends replacing the filter monthly. Seal around the filter opening with duct tape.

2. Turn off the power to the furnace.

3. Remove the front panel from the blower compartment -- usually adjacent to the filter. Dust off the exterior of the blower with a soft cloth.

4. Remove the blower from its mountings with a socket and ratchet in the appropriate size. The blower looks and spins like a hamster wheel.

5. Clean the blades on the wheel with a soft brush. Attach a 2-foot length of 1/2-inch flexible plastic tubing to the end of your vacuum cleaner's attachment hose with duct tape. Vacuum up dust particles from the wheel and from the interior of the blower compartment. Reattach the blower. Replace the panel.

6. Turn off the gas to the furnace by turning the valve a 1/4 turn. Remove the panel from the burner compartment (usually directly above the blower compartment).

7. Vacuum off the burners and the base of the compartment under and around the burners.

8. Find the pilot light. It is usually located at the back of the burners. Blow any dust off the pilot with a drinking straw, directing air directly at the pilot. Close the panel and turn back on the gas and power.

9. Remove the flexible hose from your vacuum cleaner hose. Vacuum the air-intake register grill.

Tips & Warnings

• Install a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your home.

• If you find black soot in the burner compartment or have irregular flames, your burners may need adjustment or you may have a cracked component and should consult a professional.

References

• "The Family Handyman": Fall Furnace Maintenance Guide
• Minnesota Office of Energy Security: Residential Furnace and Boiler Tune-Up