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Your furnace is the command center of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Its condition and cleanliness directly affect your indoor air quality and home comfort. Regular furnace cleaning and maintenance will ensure optimal performance. (Have any questions about the process? Visit our furnace cleaning service page for details.)

Aside from routine furnace cleaning, here are some circumstances that should prompt you to schedule one.

1. New Occupancy. 

When newly taking up residence in a house, what better way to make it your own than to remove from its innards any contaminants (dust, dander, debris, etc.) left behind by its former occupants.Unless you can be certain that a furnace cleaning was performed once the property was vacated, this is a no-brainer in terms of the ideal situation to warrant one.

2. Construction/Remodeling. 

Debris resulting from construction activity—especially Sheetrock or drywall dust—is notorious for its ability to cling to HVAC components and stubbornly work its way into the tiniest of crevices, choking air flow and decreasing efficiency. The fine, chalk-like dust disseminates ominously (cue deadly horror-movie fog), settling in as a soft white powder over everything it once hovered above. Do yourself and your home a favor by factoring a furnace and air duct cleaning into your remodeling budget.

3. Pets. 

How many times have those of us with pets plucked coarse strands of their hair out of our food or off our tongues, or dabbed them from our eyes? Pet hair and dander tend to be ubiquitous, and if you have pets, you know that their fluffy cuteness gets everywhere. Your HVAC system is not spared. When furnace components become clogged with debris, including pet hair and dander, the unit has to work harder to achieve the desired ambient temperature, squandering energy and money.

4. Dirty Air Ducts. 

All of the components of your HVAC system are connected and work harmoniously together to keep your home comfortable and climate-controlled. Because none of them work independently of the others, when one component is dirty, likely the others are too. So if your air ducts are dirty, your furnace could probably use a cleaning as well. Many companies perform furnace cleanings as part of an air duct cleaning, and some do so only with higher-level services. If you’re spending the money to clean your air ducts, best to fork over the bucks to have your furnace cleaned as well.

5. The Mere Passage of Time . . .

​Let’s face it—there’s lots of stuff floating around our homes—everyday household dust, pollen, dander, and other irritants—and all that unpleasantness has to settle somewhere. Just like the tiny specks and floaties would pile up if you never dusted your home, so will they accumulate in your furnace if it is not cleaned. Help your furnace to do the job it was meant to do by keeping it clean, and it will reward you with greater productivity and job satisfaction. Okay—improved efficiency and cleaner indoor air.

Wanna dig deeper? Download our free tipsheet: 
​5 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Furnace Cleaning Company.