We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
forced hot air used to heat our home.

So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
doing the following for maintenance.
1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.

I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.

- Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
  are they best left alone if everything is working properly

- Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
  perspective?

- Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
  (additional) preventive maintenance?

Thanks

On Oct 18, 3:07=A0am, blueman  wrote:
> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
> forced hot air used to heat our home.
>
> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
> doing the following for maintenance.
> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
>
> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
>
> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
> =A0 are they best left alone if everything is working properly
>
> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
> =A0 perspective?
>
> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
> =A0 (additional) preventive maintenance?
>
> Thanks

Wont a cheap air filter bypass alot of dirt and coat the heat
exchanger reducing its efficency, at least thats my thought so I use
the 4" media, have you ever cleaned the heat exchanger, are burners
burning right, is exchanger temp in the proper range, how about the
blades on the blower fan, are they clean, if dirty that would indicate
a inefective air filter. Im no pro but im sure there are even more
things to do.

On Oct 18, 3:07=A0am, blueman  wrote:
> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
> forced hot air used to heat our home.
>
> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
> doing the following for maintenance.
> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
>
> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
>
> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
> =A0 are they best left alone if everything is working properly
>
> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
> =A0 perspective?
>
> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
> =A0 (additional) preventive maintenance?
>
> Thanks

I had a friend buy a house, I dont know if it the furnace was run
without a filter or just a bad one, but the AC coil was so clogged he
was getting almost no heat. We removed the AC coil until he cleaned it
next spring. A crappy air filter can trash an AC unit. With a
condensing unit checking exaust temp should tell you alot about the
unit, I dont know what range it should run at, but to high would
indicate its not efficent. I think poor-cheap air filtration is the
quickest way to ruin a furnace and cut its efficency way down.

"blueman" <N...@nospam.com> wrote in message 
news:m...@consult.pretender...
> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
> forced hot air used to heat our home.
>
> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
> doing the following for maintenance.
> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
>
> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
>
> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
>  are they best left alone if everything is working properly
>
> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
>  perspective?
>
> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
>  (additional) preventive maintenance?
>
> Thanks

I would expect the manual that came with the unit, or goes with the unit 
will answer your questions. If you don't have it, you can probably get one 
online. Personally, I would never open up a condensing furnace/boiler, 
unless something goes wrong 

ransley wrote:
> On Oct 18, 3:07 am, blueman  wrote:
>> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
>> forced hot air used to heat our home.
>>
>> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
>> doing the following for maintenance.
>> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
>> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
>> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
>> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
>>
>> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
>>
>> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
>>   are they best left alone if everything is working properly
>>
>> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
>>   perspective?
>>
>> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
>>   (additional) preventive maintenance?
>>
>> Thanks
> 
> Wont a cheap air filter bypass alot of dirt and coat the heat
> exchanger reducing its efficency, at least thats my thought so I use
> the 4" media, have you ever cleaned the heat exchanger, are burners
> burning right, is exchanger temp in the proper range, how about the
> blades on the blower fan, are they clean, if dirty that would indicate
> a inefective air filter. Im no pro but im sure there are even more
> things to do.

I'm not sure what kind of furnace you have, but the pros aren't going to
inspect the fan, at least not in the one I have.  Inspecting the fan
requires rather extensive disassembly.  I don't know about the burners,
but I don't think they are easy to get at.  In all about all the
pros can do would be to check flow and temperature rise.  And I'm not
sure about temperature rise.  There is no convenient place to put a
probe just before and after the furnace.  They would be pretty much
limited to the air at the return vent and a supply vent.

In fact I think almost all they can do is to replace the filters with
their overpriced filters.

Bill

On Oct 19, 8:05=A0am, BillGill  wrote:
> ransley wrote:
> > On Oct 18, 3:07 am, blueman  wrote:
> >> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
> >> forced hot air used to heat our home.
>
> >> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
> >> doing the following for maintenance.
> >> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
> >> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
> >> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
> >> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
>
> >> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
>
> >> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
> >> =A0 are they best left alone if everything is working properly
>
> >> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
> >> =A0 perspective?
>
> >> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
> >> =A0 (additional) preventive maintenance?
>
> >> Thanks
>
> > Wont a cheap air filter bypass alot of dirt and coat the heat
> > exchanger reducing its efficency, at least thats my thought so I use
> > the 4" media, have you ever cleaned the heat exchanger, are burners
> > burning right, is exchanger temp in the proper range, how about the
> > blades on the blower fan, are they clean, if dirty that would indicate
> > a inefective air filter. Im no pro but im sure there are even more
> > things to do.
>
> I'm not sure what kind of furnace you have, but the pros aren't going to
> inspect the fan, at least not in the one I have. =A0Inspecting the fan
> requires rather extensive disassembly. =A0I don't know about the burners,
> but I don't think they are easy to get at. =A0In all about all the
> pros can do would be to check flow and temperature rise. =A0And I'm not
> sure about temperature rise. =A0There is no convenient place to put a
> probe just before and after the furnace. =A0They would be pretty much
> limited to the air at the return vent and a supply vent.
>
> In fact I think almost all they can do is to replace the filters with
> their overpriced filters.
>
> Bill

I can get a pretty good look at my fan just by taking the door off the
blower compartment. Temperature rise is a snap to check, with a probe
type thermometer.  You just use a sheet metal screw (1/2" x #6) like
they use to install the bulk of the sheet metal around the furnace, to
punch a hole in the cold air drop and plenum, and test with the
thermometer.  A meat thermometer could be used in a pinch.

JK

Big_Jake wrote:
> On Oct 19, 8:05 am, BillGill  wrote:
>> ransley wrote:
>>> On Oct 18, 3:07 am, blueman  wrote:
>>>> We have a couple of high efficiency, condensing gas furnaces with
>>>> forced hot air used to heat our home.
>>>> So far, every year at the start of the heating season, I have been
>>>> doing the following for maintenance.
>>>> 1. Thoroughly vacuum out the interior
>>>> 2. Clean the condensate pump of accumulated crud
>>>> 3. Wash the air filter (it's a simple low-end washable one)
>>>> 4. Inspect for cracks, loose wires, funny noises, etc.
>>>> I have a CO detector mounted near all the heaters.
>>>> - Do I need to clean the burners, igniters, heat exchanger, etc? Or
>>>>   are they best left alone if everything is working properly
>>>> - Is there anything else I need to be doing from a regular maintenance
>>>>   perspective?
>>>> - Is there any need to call in an official HVAC person for
>>>>   (additional) preventive maintenance?
>>>> Thanks
>>> Wont a cheap air filter bypass alot of dirt and coat the heat
>>> exchanger reducing its efficency, at least thats my thought so I use
>>> the 4" media, have you ever cleaned the heat exchanger, are burners
>>> burning right, is exchanger temp in the proper range, how about the
>>> blades on the blower fan, are they clean, if dirty that would indicate
>>> a inefective air filter. Im no pro but im sure there are even more
>>> things to do.
>> I'm not sure what kind of furnace you have, but the pros aren't going to
>> inspect the fan, at least not in the one I have.  Inspecting the fan
>> requires rather extensive disassembly.  I don't know about the burners,
>> but I don't think they are easy to get at.  In all about all the
>> pros can do would be to check flow and temperature rise.  And I'm not
>> sure about temperature rise.  There is no convenient place to put a
>> probe just before and after the furnace.  They would be pretty much
>> limited to the air at the return vent and a supply vent.
>>
>> In fact I think almost all they can do is to replace the filters with
>> their overpriced filters.
>>
>> Bill
> 
> I can get a pretty good look at my fan just by taking the door off the
> blower compartment. Temperature rise is a snap to check, with a probe
> type thermometer.  You just use a sheet metal screw (1/2" x #6) like
> they use to install the bulk of the sheet metal around the furnace, to
> punch a hole in the cold air drop and plenum, and test with the
> thermometer.  A meat thermometer could be used in a pinch.
> 
> JK
Well, taking the cover off of the blower compartment on mine involves
removing the air intake and exhaust lines that run down in front of it,
and then unmounting the control circuit board that is mounted on the
cover.  Not something to be undertaken lightly.

I realize that I could do something like your description of the
temperature test, but the average tech isn't going to take the time
to go punching holes in the plenum to do it.

Bill

On Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:14:08 -0700, Big_Jake wrote:
> I can get a pretty good look at my fan just by taking the door off the
> blower compartment. Temperature rise is a snap to check, with a probe
> type thermometer.  You just use a sheet metal screw (1/2" x #6) like
> they use to install the bulk of the sheet metal around the furnace, to
> punch a hole in the cold air drop and plenum, and test with the
> thermometer.  A meat thermometer could be used in a pinch.

JOOI, how do you know when it's good or bad (other than obvious cases!) -
do manufacturers typically publish plenum temps for their furnace against
a range in input temps, or is there a rough rule of thumb for a given
furnace size? Or is it a case of monitoring it year to year just so you
know when performance is off against previous years?

I've got a temp probe on my meter so could easily measure mine, but it
doesn't tell me much other than that it's producing warm air (which of
course I know anyway :-)

cheers

Jules

>do manufacturers typically publish plenum temps for their furnace against
a range in input temps, or is there a rough rule of thumb for a given
furnace size? Or is it a case of monitoring it year to year just so
you
know when performance is off against previous years?

If the furnace guys left the installation guide (or asked them for
it).

I installed the Carrier I have (all work except sheet metal)...so I
know the information is there.

I also worked at a hardware store once and the boss had a new gas
boiler delivered...he left for the day and said to install it!  (I
didn't have to go far for pipe)

bob_v

On Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:57:51 -0700, Bob Villa wrote:

>>do manufacturers typically publish plenum temps for their furnace against
> a range in input temps, or is there a rough rule of thumb for a given
> furnace size? Or is it a case of monitoring it year to year just so
> you
> know when performance is off against previous years?
> 
> If the furnace guys left the installation guide (or asked them for
> it).

Yeah, I have it - doesn't list plenum temp from what I can see, though. I
think I'll measure and make a note of it anyway, then I can check in
susequent years (the furnace was installed in 2007, just before we bought
the house, so it *should* be operating pretty much optimally right now!)

Actually, I need to insulate around some more of the ducting anyway
(much of it runs through the basement, which gets pretty cool) so it'll
be a useful exercise for seeing how much heat is getting lost before it
even gets as far as the rooms...

cheers

Jules