Gas Furnace Parts – Can I Repair My Gas Furnace By Myself?
In difficult times, people instinctively fall back on the concepts of independence and “do-it-myself” rules. And with unemployment high sky in parts of the US and other parts of the world, home repair, especially on major appliances is becoming more popular than ever.
The Major Gas Furnace Parts
With forced-air heating, gas furnaces only have a few major moving parts: a combustion chamber, a burner and control valve system, a gas supply line, a flue, chimney or fume outlet and a heat exchanger.
The furnace intakes cold air (supplied by return registers) passes the air through filters to clean it and trap large particles, warms up the air by flowing it over a air-to-air heat exchange unit (which is heated by the gas burner). A blower fan then pushes the warmed air though the household ductworks. The cold air is then returned to the furnace for re-heating.
In a hydronic or liquid-based system, the gas burner heats up cold water to the right temperature. Then a central pump pipes the resulting hot water to various in-floor radiant heat zones. Or the hot water is sent to enclosed water-to-air heat exchangers inside devices similar to old style radiators or into wall-mounted panels. The cooled water is then returned to a holding tank for reuse.
Troubleshooting Gas Furnace Parts
Gas Furnace Parts Check # 1
One of the first you need to do to troubleshoot a gas furnace is to replace your furnace filter. Dirt is the enemy of any gas furnace and people often forget to replace furnace filters as frequently as they need to. You can use either one of the “mesh” fiberglass or polyester panels (which are very inexpensive). If someone in your family suffers from allergies or respiratory problems then you may want to buy one of the new pleated or folded electrostatic filters that cut down on dust and airborne micro-particles.
Gas Furnace Parts Check # 2
You need to clean out the blower fan. Many types of gas furnaces use round fans fondly called “squirrel cages”. These fans actually look more like hamster wheels enclosed inside a metal case with a funnel on top and an electric motor to one side. They are very prone to getting dirty, so they must be cleaned and serviced before the start of each heating season. While you got it open, you should take the time to lubricate the fan and motor also.
Gas Furnace Parts Check # 3
The new check on your item should be your gas furnace burner. Burners can be easily cleaned by the homeowner. Shut off the power (at the circuit box) and the gas at safety valve. And then take your time and use a vacuum, some old paint brushes and canned air to remove any dust, debris or junk from the tubes and thermocouple.
Gas Furnace Parts Check # 4
Adjust the pilot light and main burner. Once you have everything back together and turned on, you should now check out the flame that the pilot puts out. A clean, strong, pure blue flame is visual proof that everything if functioning normally in a natural gas furnace. Blue flames with greenish tips are signs of a healthy Suburban type propane system. But yellow tips or weak, sputtering flames are warning signs that you need to adjust either the pilot light or the burner.
Now that you know a bit more about which gas furnace parts can go bad, you can make plans to do a home checkup before the next heating season.
