Filthy burners can decrease the efficiency of a gas burner. You should clean the burner from time to time as part of routine maintenance and have it offer you optimal performance.
Ideally, you should have technicians clean your gas furnaces before each cold season begins. Cleaning the burners should be part of every professional furnace tune-up. Even if you will hire an expert like Smedley Service for the exercise, it is crucial to know the steps involved in the clean-up as part of this HVAC routine maintenance. Keep reading to find out the details.
Requirements
The following tools will assist any professional in cleaning a furnace burner in the most efficient manner:
- A tightening wrench/ a hammer drill
- Brass brush to scrub the burner and restore its peak performance
- The drill’s flexible extension to access those screws in inaccessible places
- A can of compressed air to blow away any dirt or dust from the burner
With these tools, you can proceed to clean the furnace burner.
9 Steps for Cleaning a Furnace Burner
1. Cut Off the Power Supply
All electricity to the gas furnace should be disconnected before you can start cleaning the gas burner. Use the power switch or the breaker to disconnect the power.
2. Remove the Access Doors/Panel
Doors might vary in style between different types of heaters. Some of them could be spring-loaded, while others slide off. If unsure, the instructions will tell you how to remove the furnace doors.
3. Open the Burner Box to Locate Burners
Some burners are concealed within the metal housing, while others are kept in a separate burner box. Inspect the positioning of the burners when you find them. Ensure to take a picture of the new location of the burner to prevent any misalignment when replacing it. Take the burner out by unscrewing the screws and holding it in place with the tiny wrench or electric drill.
4. Remove the Burner
The burners are designed to look like car tailpipes. The metal sheet holding the burner in place makes this operation more complicated than it needs to be. Careful handling of the first burner is required before removal.
Find the bottom and make sure it is marked as such. If you do not have any labels, put everything back in the same spot.
5. Clean Each Burner
Scrub the residue from the wall of the chamber where the fuel is burned using the brass wire brush. Then use your compressed air or air compressor to blow through the opposite end, releasing any carbon deposits inside the burner.
You could also brush away the deposits on the burner. Proceed with the exercise until you cannot find any further carbon deposits. While doing this, ensure the burner’s fins are clean, usually by blowing away any accumulated dirt or dust.
6. Clean the Flame Sensors
A flame sensor is a tiny rod mounted behind the last burner; however, it is almost always disregarded. Its foundation is made of porcelain. The flame sensor loses its ability to function correctly when carbon covers because it cannot detect a flame. Get the sensor rod as clean and glossy as possible. You can achieve this using very fine steel wool.
7. Retainer and Burner Replacement
Begin by turning on the burner located the furthest away from the gas valve. Replace each burner in turn until you hear the tabs click into place. Be careful not to force any of the components into their proper position because you could easily make them break.
8. Replace the Retaining Plate
Replacement of the retaining plate is a simple step to do. After repositioning the retainer to cover the burners, secure it using the appropriate screws.
9. Test the Furnace
Using a blue-flame test, you may check if your furnace is working correctly. The exercise involves turning on the electricity and gas inlet, cranking up the thermostat, and observing the color of the flame.
Professional cleaning of your furnace burner will ensure you do not get any yellow or orange tinges on the flame. Smedley Service has qualified technicians who will clean your furnace burner to eliminate any combustion issues, such as a leaking heat exchanger, which could release carbon monoxide into the air flowing into your home.
Indeed, the presence of orange/ yellow streaks is cause for concern. In other cases, it could mean that the air-to-gas ratio needs to be tweaked slightly.
Contact Us
It is not difficult to keep up with the maintenance of the burners in a gas furnace with Smedley Service. We can assist you with regular maintenance, such as cleaning the gas furnace burners. The exercise is all you need to keep the system running smoothly and from frequent malfunctions. Contact us for routine maintenance to detect potential problems with your furnace before they become serious.
At Smedley Service, we over a wide range of services to residents of Layton, UT and surrounding areas. These include plumbing repairs, heating and cooling maintenance, repair, and installation, and indoor air quality solutions. Call us today to learn more.
