Is your furnace not working as efficiently as it did last year? Your first instinct may be to assume you need a new thermostat. While sometimes that is the case, a few other more common factors will cause your heater to work less efficiently. Before you worry your heater is broken and begin furiously looking for heating and air companies, there are a few things that you can do to ensure you are getting the most value out of your furnace.
1. Furnace Maintenance Checks
First, and most important, are regular maintenance checkups. We say it repeatedly, but it really is something that is overlooked and will help you to get the best bang for your buck. If you have recently purchased an HVAC system, you may think, “I just paid a fortune for this thing, why would I need regular maintenance?” Well, the one thing that most heating and air contractors fail to tell you is that in order to maintain your parts warranty on your purchase, most HVAC manufacturers require proof of regular maintenance. Manufacturer Trane, says in order to maintain HVAC parts warranties regular maintenance is required. By having this service provided by a reputable heating and air company, you are making sure that all your parts are getting properly cleaned, they will checking to make sure all moving parts are working and that the air flow from your furnace to your home is as efficient as it can be. Having a regular maintenance agreement with a heating and air company is like having insurance on your HVAC system and a great way to extend the life of your furnace. Furnace tune-ups are recommended once a year and a well-trained professional HVAC technician can catch 90% of the problems before they happen.
2. Clean Furnace Filters
You never want to have a dirty furnace filter. Air is blown over the heat exchanger and pushes hot air through your ducts into your home. When the filters are clogged, it limits the amount of air that is able to get through into your home. So how often should you change your filter? We recommend checking it monthly and at the very least, every 6-8 weeks. If you don’t want to have to buy and store that many filters you can look into washable filters which tend to be more expensive but also more efficient. Luckily, this is an easy fix and you can purchase furnace filters from a local hardware store. Most HVAC repairmen have a truck stock of new filters, so be sure to ask when you have someone out for regular maintenance.
3. Proper Insulation
Making sure that your home is well insulated will keep your house warm, and it can also lower your energy bills. The purpose of insulation is to resist the temperature outside from coming in, or to prevent losing warm or cool air in your home. Depending on when your home was built, your insulation will lose density over time. This is a common home upgrade that utility companies are encouraging because of the difference it can make in energy usage. The more dense that your insulation is, the more resistant it will be. When your house is insulated, you are able to maintain the ideal temperature of your home without having to run your unit constantly that can increase your energy bill.
