Oil furnaces only produce heat efficiently when the hardware is properly maintained. If a unit has any problems, heating efficiency will drop because the system will struggle to generate hot air. This is why every homeowner must have a maintenance plan for an oil furnace that focuses on performance and safety. If you need help developing a routine for an old or modern furnace, simply use this guide.
Tactics for Soot
Each time you use your oil furnace, soot will build up on the interior surfaces. When compared to gas units, oil-based equipment requires more frequent cleaning because regular scrubbing keeps heavy soot out of flammable zones. On average, you can prevent fires by checking and removing soot on two occasions throughout the winter season. However, if you operate your oil furnace constantly throughout the day and night, you’ll need to wipe away soot every other week.
Cleaning and Replacement Requirements
A traditional oil furnace has several parts that must be cleaned regularly. These components include the:
- Oil filter
- Pump strainer
- Gasket hardware
If you can’t eliminate heavy grime on these parts, you’ll have to swap out heavily soiled pieces with new replacement products. Because furnace installation jobs require precision, you should let a professional furnace technician mount and secure all replacement hardware.
Safety Strategies
By examining the smoke that flows out of the furnace, you can spot simple problems before they lead to risky situations. Since soot is a major problem that causes fires, you must make adjustments or seek maintenance whenever you notice performance problems around the chimney. When an oil furnace isn’t burning oil properly, the smoke that floats into the air will be black. This type of smoke is dangerous because it produces a lot of pollution and soot. In order to correct this problem, you’ll have to change the main furnace controls.
These strategies can help you keep your oil furnace in optimum condition. If you want to run tests during maintenance routines, a smoke pump tester can provide practical results.