A furnace is a significant investment in your home in Cumming, GA. You’ll want to get every possible year you can from it before having to make that investment again. Here are six ways to extend your furnace lifespan while keeping your home comfortable and safe.
1. Keep Your Air Filters Clean
Your system cannot operate correctly without sufficient air moving through it. Your air filter naturally clogs as it removes contaminants to prevent more damaging airflow restrictions.
Most experts recommend changing the standard 1-inch filter about every 90 days if you have average air quality. However, you may want to check and your filter monthly and change it as needed, to keep air flowing through the system.
2. Use Your Thermostat’s Programs
According to the Department of Energy, you can reduce your energy expenses by using your thermostat’s programs. To achieve this, you want to reduce your household temperature by 7 to 10 degrees for about 8 hours every day.
By reducing your energy consumption, you also reduce the wear on your furnace. During those same down periods, your system’s cycles will be shorter, and more infrequent. This reduction means your system experiences fewer starts, which is the most strenuous part of the cycle.
3. Tackle Small Repairs Early
Furnace repairs are annoying, at best, cause a lot of stress, and can put a squeeze on your wallet. This is in part because many small problems get ignored or go unnoticed altogether, leaving what feels like substantial repairs.
Small problems, like airflow restrictions or components working sub-optimally, cause additional strain on the system. In turn, this added strain causes more problems with your system over time, leading to much larger repairs. Pay attention to hints of problems and get a technician out quickly to troubleshoot and find a resolution.
4. Utilize Ceiling Fans
Everyone knows that heat rises and cool air descends. However, many people don’t realize the impact that has on their effort to heat their home in the winter. The warmest air will settle at your ceiling, where it does nothing to help keep your home comfortable.
Your ceiling fans have a special setting for the winter that makes the fan spin counterclockwise. When used on low, this draws cool air up, forcing the warm air to circulate back to the level you’ll enjoy.
For your furnace, this means you won’t have to set your thermostat as high for the same level of comfort. The lower temperature means your furnace experiences less strain to keep your family safe and comfortable.
5. Keep Your Temperature Constant
Some people have a habit of turning their thermostat up high until their home becomes uncomfortably warm. Your heating system cannot heat your home faster with a higher heat setting on your thermostat.
Set your thermostat at a comfortable level and leave it alone. If you find it’s a little cool or a little warm, adjust your temperature by a degree or two. The only time to adjust the temperature more is for the programs when you’re not home or are in bed.
6. Keep up on Your System’s Maintenance
Your furnace needs routine maintenance to continue working effectively. Without it, contaminants build up in your system and connections loosen. It’s also with this maintenance that you’ll find those small problems before they become major repairs.
Most furnace manufacturers also stipulate routine maintenance as a term of their warranty. So, not only does this help your system continue operating well, but also protects your wallet should something fail. The standard recommendation is to have maintenance on your furnace every fall before the cold weather settles around the area.
Give your furnace the attention it needs to keep it working effectively for its entire potential service life. Call to schedule your furnace maintenance with one of the expert technicians at Pruitt Heating & Air, Inc today.
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