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Fall Furnace Maintenance In Your Mobile Home

When winter arrives, the last thing you want is for your family to be left in the cold from a malfunctioning furnace. Conducting regular maintenance on your mobile home HVAC system, twice a year in the spring and fall, can save you a service call. Take some time this fall to conduct a quick, seasonal tune-up to keep your manufactured home furnace in top shape. 

When you run through a check-up on your prefab home furnace, you can also increase the performance of your HVAC equipment. This can reduce energy consumption and extend the shelf life of your unit, saving you money. A cleaned and maintained furnace is also operating safely and efficiently, while improving your home’s air quality. 

If you’re brand new to maintaining your mobile home HVAC system, you’ll first want to familiarize yourself with how a furnace works and its main components. Refer to the maintenance section of your oil, gas, or electric furnace user manual for helpful diagrams and explanations. The mobile home heating process starts with your furnace burning gas or fuel oil to heat the air or passing the air through an electric heat exchanger. This heated air is then blown through the air ducts and carried to registers or vents located throughout your mobile home. 

With an annual furnace inspection before winter weather arrives, you’ll be prepared by making sure everything in your mobile home furnace is in working order and identifying any parts that need to be replaced. Go through our quick list of fall maintenance items to get started. 

10 Furnace Maintenance Tips:

  1. Replace the air filter in your mobile home furnace. Disposable filters should be thrown out and replaced with a fresh one. A permanent filter should be washed, brushed, or vacuumed and then reinstalled.
  2. Inspect the overall condition of your furnace by checking the exterior for any physical damage. Look for any dents, cracks, or scratches, taking note of anything that may need to be replaced by a qualified technician.
  3. Watch for any unusual noises or moisture in your system. You’ll want to look for sounds like banging or rattling, anything that indicates your furnace may not be running as smoothly as it should.
  4. Clean out any debris in the general furnace area. Never use the furnace closet in your mobile home for storage or drying clothes because that creates a fire hazard.
  5. In newer furnace models, check for any flashing lights in the top panel which indicate error codes. Check your manual to figure out what the error codes stand for and consult a certified technician for any repair needs.
  6. Check the exhaust vent from the furnace to clear any obstructions such as leaves or animal nests. Also, take the time to clean and unblock all vents and registers throughout your home.
  7. Inspect the blower motor in your furnace. Vacuum any accumulated dirt in all the small areas of your furnace, specifically focusing on the blowers and burners.
  8. If you feel comfortable identifying the main components of your furnace, you should also clean the pilot by lightly blowing any dust off it and inspect the drive belt for any cracks.
  9. Check the flue assembly for alignment and rigidity. The flue should be attached to the furnace collar and run in a straight line from the top of the furnace through the ceiling.
  10. Look for and seal small cracks in the vents, ducts, and furnace with metal tape.

After running through this maintenance checklist, take note of any major damage and call an HVAC technician so they can conduct a check-up and handle any complex repairs. Getting an annual furnace inspection in the fall will allow for early detection and repair of any potential problems. The technician will test, clean, and ensure the overall health of your furnace equipment. With a little bit of preventative maintenance, you can relax in the cold months ahead knowing your family will stay warm all winter. For all your furnace or heat pump repair or replacement needs, General Supply is ready to help.