Unblocking a Furnace Intake Vent A small brush is usually enough to clear debris off the screen. For more stubborn buildup, you can use a shop vac, but that usually isn't necessary.
If the intake pipe becomes blocked, the heating system will likely stall and turn off as it can't pull in the required air for the combustion process. If the exhaust pipe becomes blocked, a safety mechanism should trip to prevent dangerous fumes from entering your home.
First, shut off the power to the furnace at the circuit-breaker box. Look for your furnace intake pipes, which are often white or black PVC pipes that exit a wall close to your furnace. Find where the intake pipes exit on the outside of your house. They are close to where your furnace is on the inside.
Unblocking a Furnace Intake Vent
A small brush is usually enough to clear debris off the screen. For more stubborn buildup, you can use a shop vac, but that usually isn't necessary.
Quick Highlights of Furnace Drain Issues and Fixes
Clear blockages using a wet/dry vacuum at trap inlet and outlet points to remove accumulated debris and sludge. Pour mixture of baking soda and vinegar through the drain system, followed by hot water to dissolve mineral deposits.
The fresh air intake is important because it ensures that the furnace has access to fresh air to use in the combustion process. Without a fresh air intake, the furnace would use up the oxygen inside the house, leading to potential safety issues, such as carbon monoxide buildup.
A common question that we receive is “should my intake and exhaust vents be covered with a screen?” The short answer to this question is yes. Sooner or later something is going to try to find its way into the PVC termination vents. It may be a bird, squirrel or even lawn debris like leaves.
Often, they will be a set of curved pipes near the foundation of your home, though some systems have the intake and exhaust pipes on or near the roof, in which case you will need a ladder to examine them.
There's a good reason why many furnaces shut off when their vents are blocked. For most new systems it is a built in safety mechanism. Without proper ventilation, carbon monoxide can build up inside the house, which is incredibly dangerous as it can cause illness and potentially be fatal.
Your furnace will blow cold air if there is no air to heat and send back into your home. Another reason you may not be getting enough air flow is if your ductwork is not sized properly. Unfortunately, this is quite common. If your return ductwork is too small, it will not be able to take in the required amount of air.
A blockage in these vents will undoubtedly prevent your furnace from adequately heating your home. It also might make it completely shut down.
Oftentimes, the intake is on the side of the house. It can be in the form of a hood on an exterior wall. Look for a gray vent hood or a white or black plastic PVC pipe. The fresh air intake leads to a duct that draws air into a vent near the furnace.
Furnace filters are explicitly made for HVAC systems to clean air in heating systems, while air filters can be used in various applications like air purifiers or standalone AC units. Although some may be interchangeable, using the right filter for your furnace or HVAC system for optimal performance is essential.
Most boilers and furnaces are combustion appliances, meaning they burn fuel like natural gas, oil, or propane in order to generate heat. But the combustion process also requires air. Depending on how your heating system was installed, it may draw air from inside your home for combustion, or it may use outside air.
However, most HVAC contractors use a rule of thumb to determine the number of air vents needed. For example, for a standard residential HVAC unit, you'll generally need one supply vent and one return vent for every 100 to 150 square feet of living space.
Put the glass with the handpiece into the water-filled ultrasonic bath. If possible, set the temperature to 50°C (122°F) and activate the ultrasonic power at your usual setting for approximately 15 minutes. Rinse the AIRFLOW® MAX handpiece with tap water.
The Cleaning Process
Be gentle to avoid bending the fins or damaging the coils. Vacuum the Coils: Attach a soft brush to your vacuum cleaner and carefully vacuum the coils. This will remove the dust and debris loosened by the brushing. Ensure the vacuum is set to a low suction level to avoid damaging the coils.