How to Extend the Lifespan of Your Furnace
Your furnace works hard to keep your home nice and warm all winter long. However, like any other utility, it benefits from regular maintenance to ensure it runs smoothly and to avoid any inconvenient breakdowns. Taking care of your furnace ensures it lasts years longer, especially compared to one left alone. It also means reduced heating costs!
1. Keep the Area Near Your Furnace Clear
Keeping the space around your furnace clear encourages airflow and safe operation. Make sure the area is clean and well clear of flammable materials. This prevents fire hazards, ensuring your furnace circulates more efficiently.
2. Keep Up with Routine HVAC Maintenance
Annual maintenance from a certified HVAC professional ensures your furnace’s overall health. During the appointment, your technician checks, cleans and otherwise optimizes the system for best performance. This proactive service helps identify small issues sooner rather than later, preventing costly failures. A regular inspection also improves efficiency, saving you more money on energy bills.
3. Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
Another way to reduce your furnace’s potential workload is to take what steps you can to boost your home’s energy efficiency. Proper insulation and other sealing accessories around windows and doors will reduce heat loss, allowing your furnace to maintain a comfortable temperature. When your furnace runs efficiently, it undergoes less wear and tear, extending its lifespan.
4. Address Any Repairs Immediately
If you notice odd humming, uneven heating or higher energy bills, don’t delay checking out these signs of trouble. Even small malfunctions can rapidly become more severe situations. If left unchecked, it could affect the total lifespan of your furnace. Prompt furnace repairs help avoid further damage and keep your system better protected.
5. Set Your Furnace to a Reasonable Temperature
Setting your thermostat beyond energy-efficient levels forces your furnace to run constantly, putting extra wear on the entire system. This increased workload leads to extra wear and tear. To avoid cutting your furnace’s lifespan short, set your thermostat to an energy-efficient temperature—for example between 68 and 72 degrees F. You can also adjust the temperature by a few degrees while you’re out of the house. These adjustments save energy and prevent any excess wear on your furnace.
6. Swap Out Your Furnace Filter When Recommended
The filter traps dust, animal dander and other airborne allergens to prevent them from entering the system’s more delicate components. Over time, the filter becomes blocked with debris, obstructing ventilation and forcing your furnace to operate less efficiently. This extra wear and tear may cause overheating and sometimes permanent system damage.
To maintain efficient performance, remember to check and change the filter on a regular basis, depending on your heating habits and the type of filter in place.
7. Consider Replacing an Old Furnace
As soon as your furnace is old and requires seemingly constant maintenance, it may be time to consider a new model. Modern furnaces offer improved performance while still lowering heating costs. Although the upfront cost may be higher than a repair, the total lifetime repair costs and increased efficiency make it a cost-effective, practical solution.
8. Install a Programmable Thermostat
A smart thermostat allows you to truly fine-tune the heating in your home, through features such as scheduling automatic setbacks when you’re away or in bed. This reduces operating time, saving energy and minimizing strain.
9. Maintain Proper Circulation
Your furnace will only operate at its best when the ventilation between supply and return vents is well-regulated. Sealing off more than 80% of your supply registers can cause heat buildup or force your furnace to work itself too hard. To help maintain good performance, regularly check that all air vents are open and free from being blocked by any rugs. This enables your furnace to move air properly.
Trust Freedom Heating & Cooling for Reliable Furnace Maintenance
Properly servicing your furnace avoids any premature, costly failures, enhances its day-to-day operation and can even extend its total potential lifespan. Freedom Heating & Cooling specializes in helping you maintain a complete sense of comfort. Our experienced technicians deliver fast, truly Expert service.
If it’s been a while since your last furnace tune-up or if you’re interested in customized recommendations to optimize your furnace, please contact us today!
