Electric Furnace Maintenance & Tune-Up

An electric furnace heats air by passing current through resistance heating elements, much like a large toaster, while a blower pushes the warm air through your ducts. Most have two or more elements that switch on in stages through sequencers or relays, so the furnace does not pull its full load from the electrical panel all at once.

There is no flame, so there is no burner to clean and no combustion to test. What does wear out is electrical: elements burn open, sequencers stick, and the heavy wire connections loosen as they heat and cool every cycle. The blower motor and the filter matter just as much, because an electric furnace relies on steady airflow to carry the heat away from the elements.

We energize every heating stage and measure the amp draw of each element, so a dead or weak element shows up as a number, not a guess. We check that the sequencers and relays bring stages on and off in order, test the high-limit safety switches, check the blower and its motor, confirm the thermostat is calling correctly, and inspect the filter. Premium adds torquing every element and breaker lug with the power off, vacuuming the blower, measuring static pressure and a photo report.

The most common sign is a furnace that runs but never quite catches up on cold days, because one or more stages are not heating. Others include air that feels lukewarm at the vents, a breaker that trips, a hot or burning smell beyond the first dusty start of the season, or a much higher electric bill. A burning smell that continues or any sign of scorched wiring is a reason to shut the furnace off and call for repair.

Those are repair calls rather than maintenance items. Our furnace repair team handles electric furnaces too.

Electric resistance heat is simple and reliable, but it is usually one of the more expensive ways to heat a home. Keeping the filter clean, the elements all working and the ducts sealed helps it run as efficiently as it can. If your bills are high, a heat pump can deliver the same heat using much less electricity, and many electric furnaces can be paired with or replaced by one.

If you are weighing that switch, see heat pump installation, current rebates and furnace replacement.

Once a year, ideally in the fall before heavy use, plus a filter change every one to three months. Because there is no combustion there is no carbon monoxide risk from the furnace itself, but it is still worth testing your CO alarms each fall if you have any gas appliances.

For gas furnaces see our furnace tune-up, or compare every system on the heating tune-up prices page. The Home+ Comfort plan covers yearly visits.