I thought that being diligent about replacing air filters plus cleaning supply plus return vents was enough to keep my oil furnace operating always.
I believed that professional repair was a waste of time plus totally unnecessary.
When my oil furnace quit plus needed to be replaced, I changed my opinion. My oil furnace was only eight-years-old when it failed completely. It malfunctioned during a February blizzard, when the outside temperature was down to setback twenty. The heating plan was running just about non stop plus struggling to keep up with demand. Because the house felt freezing, I raised the thermostat setting many times. The lack of proper upkeep allowed a significant amount of dust, dander, insects plus other debris to accumulate inside the oil furnace. This build up clogged essential airflow, restricted moving parts plus increased the strain on all components. Eventually, the oil furnace warm plus shut down. Fiddling with the thermostat, hitting the reset button plus decreasing the air filter did nothing to repair the problem. I had no option but to hire a licensed Heating, Ventilation & A/C contractor. The two of us couldn’t go without heat plus I was anxious about the water pipes frosty. Calling in the middle of the evening meant paying extra for overtime service. The worker checked the oil furnace plus found a hairline crack in the heat exchanger. That didn’t sound all that serious. He then informed myself and others that a new heat exchanger costs more than replacing the oil furnace. Apparently, the heat exchanger is the component that prevents carbon monoxide plus other combustion gasses from entering the breathing air. It’s essential to safety. Because I had failed to keep up with repair, my warranty would not cover any of the expense.