Dirty Furnace Blower

   A blower wheel has blades that are specifically designed to push air around. Any dirt on those blades will cause your blower motor to work harder. This draws more amperage and pushes less air. When, as little as 1/10th of an inch of dust accumulates on your blower wheel, it can reduce your furnaces efficiency by 20%. Another problem that arises from this dust accumulation is your heat exchanger running hotter. This will ultimately reduce the lifespan of your furnace.

   If a blower wheel is allowed to get very dirty, your furnace and air conditioner may not operate at all. Your heat exchanger depends on cooler air moving across it to keep it from overheating. Your air conditioner coil depends on warmer air to keep it from freezing. When this cannot happen because a dirty blower wheel is impairing air flow, your system will fail.

    During routine maintenance, a technician will inspect your blower wheel. If it is dusty, it should be cleaned. This can be an expensive job depending on the type of furnace you have and how much work is involved in reaching the wheel to clean it.  Regardless of the cost for this job, it is a drop in the bucket compared to replacing your entire system if it should fail due to a situation such as overheating.

    There is something you can do to help prevent your blower wheel from becoming dirty in the first place — change your air filters regularly! I realize this can be challenging to remember. No worries… Simply go to Ideal Air LLC website to sign up for our air filter reminder program and we will let you know when it is time to change your filter. 

    Another important step you can take to avoid a problem or a breakdown is to perform regular maintenance.  Ideal Air LLC offers a maintenance program which includes two annual checkups for your system — one on the heat cycle and one on the cool cycle. If your blower wheel is dirty, it will be detected during this routine inspection. Catching the problem early can save you from a breakdown, lower your energy bills, prevent system failure, and lengthen the life of your equipment. 

    Contact Ideal Air LLC at 651 707-6007 for maintenance, service, repairs, or installation of new equipment.