February 23, 2010
Certain purchases for your home are a big investment. When you spend a lot of money on an item such as a water heater, air conditioner, or forced air electric furnace, part of keeping them running properly and being a worthwhile investment is maintaining them properly. These items are bought with the intention of lasting for many years and when taken care of can drastically increase the overall value of your home. Heating and cooling are some of the largest investments you will make and not as easily replaceable. So it is in your best concern to implement a regular maintenance routine on your system.
If your furnace was installed by a heating contractor, they can inform you of what the proper maintenance for your particular model is and will often perform the maintenance for you at a reasonable cost. This doesn’t mean you have to call them each time something needs to be done. Basic maintenance can be done to prevent larger problems from occurring. The most important thing is to remember to check your filter. Filters that become clogged reduce how productive your forced air electric furnace is and can damage other parts of the furnace. Air vents need to be checked for leaks at least yearly and any found can be sealed with duct tape.
Replaceable filters should be checked monthly and changed when needed. To change your filter, you will want to shut off the power running to the unit and find the location of the filter. Once you have found the location of the filter, remove the panel that protects it and slide the filter out of the heater. Then install the new replacement filter. While you have the unit open you may want to clean other parts such as the fan blades and check the belts to make sure they are not worn. This will help keep your furnace running more efficiently and prevent larger maintenance problems from occurring.
