If you are a homeowner, you know that proper furnace maintenance is crucial, not only because it will improve the efficiency, but also because it will give your furnace a long life so that you don’t have to replace your furnace, as well as lowering your energy costs.
With this in mind, we thought we would share these five tips on how to improve the efficiency of your furnace.
1. Clean your furnace filter, and replace it when necessary.
Why do you need to clean/replace your filter? Well, the purpose of the filter is to ensure the air that going into the machine is clean. So, as your filter does it’s job it will eventually get clogged with dirt and other elements. When a filter is clogged, it is not able to circulate clean the air as effectively as a clean filter, which decreases the overall efficiency. The best thing for you to do is check it regularly, and make sure to clean/replace it as needed.
2. Keep up with your yearly maintenance!
The best way to ensure that you will not have to replace your furnace before it’s time is to have annual maintenance performed by a professional, like the technicians at Arie One. The reason that maintenance is important is that it keeps your furnace functioning accurately, and more efficiently. Just to put things in perspective, a dirty furnace without proper maintenance will work about 20% harder than one performing at optimal efficiency – which will end up costing you extra money because more energy is being consumed.
3. Make sure your ductwork is properly sealed!
If you have leaks in your ductwork, you need to repair your furnace. When your ducts are not sealed tightly, they start to leak air, which forces your furnace to work harder to get the air circulated throughout your home. Also, leaks mean that gasses that are not supposed to mix can – which is very dangerous. Make sure that you repair your furnace, and fix any leaking ducts to keep it running efficiently.
4. Use an automatic thermostat!
Having an automatic thermostat can help you maintain furnace efficiency. Having a thermostat regulates the heat being produced by your furnace, ensuring that your house temperature is consistent – instead of constantly up and down. Also, a thermostat allows you to set specific times for your furnace to go on and off – such as when you’re not at home, or when you’re on vacation and don’t need the house to be heated.
5. Replace your furnace when the time comes!
We know that saying “replace your furnace” is a lot easier said than done, but the fact is that an old furnace that is not performing properly is costing you a lot of extra money (and can be dangerous). Yes, you can perform all of the above recommendations to keep your current furnace performing efficiently – but when it’s time to replace your furnace, the best thing to do is just bite the bullet. A new furnace will not only perform better; it will lower your energy bills and keep you comfortable in your home.
The professionals at Aire One are here to help you and answer any questions you have about furnace maintenance, or how to replace your furnace. You can leave us a comment here, send us an email, or give us a call and speak with one of our technicians. We look forward to hearing from you!