Heating and cooling ultimately determines the comfort of a home. Learn how to troubleshoot heating and cooling and how to fix and maintain HVAC systems.

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REFERENCE LINKS

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this How Stuff Works article:

Club, Fix-It. "Furnace Maintenance." 28 March 2007. HowStuffWorks.com. <http://home.howstuffworks.com/furnace-maintenance.htm> 16 May 2008.

by Fix-It Club

Inside This Article

Furnace Maintenance Overview

How To Clean a Furnace

How To Lubricate a Furnace Motor

How To Replace a Furnace Belt

See all Heating & Cooling articles

How To Replace a Furnace Belt

On furnaces that have a blower, inspect the belts on the blower and motor when you clean and lubricate the furnace. If the belts are worn or frayed, replace them with new ones of the same type and size. Here's how to replace a worn belt:

What You'll NeedYou'll want to have these tools on hand when replacing the belt:

Wrench
Replacement belt

Step 1: Loosen mounting bolts on motor, and slide motor forward toward blower unit. This releases worn belt.

Step 2: Remove old belt, and stretch new one into place on pulleys. Then slide motor back and tighten motor mounting bolts to increase tension.

Step 3: Adjust bolts so there's about 1/2-inch deflection when you press on belt at its center point between the two pulleys.

If a belt squeaks when the blower is running, spray it with fan belt dressing, which is available at automotive and hardware stores and at some home centers.

By taking these steps, hopefully your furnace will continue to heat your home for years to come without a problem.

For more articles on home repair, check out the following links.

How To Repair Gas Furnaces and Gas Heaters: Gas furnaces have become popular because they burn fuel cheaply and with few problems. Keep your gas furnace running trouble-free.
Major Appliance Repair: If the furnace isn't the only thing in your house on the fritz, you can learn how to fix other machines in this article.
Small Appliance Repair: Once you've tackled the furnace, a toaster or blender seems like child's play. Find out how to fix them here.
Thermostat Maintenance: To make sure there's actually a problem with your heating system, you may want to check the thermostat, too. Learn how to calibrate a thermostat.