It’s common for homeowners to be a little nervous before fall arrives because they know that they will have to rely on their furnace to keep them comfortable once cold winter weather is here. However, you can run your furnace with confidence when you know how to maintain it properly and take the necessary steps to do so. Consider these five keys to keep it running smoothly all winter long.
1. Change Your Air Filter
Air filters keep damaging contaminants out of your furnace but need periodic replacing to allow air to continue flowing in. Common one- and two-inch filters typically need to be replaced every 30 to 90 days, but larger filters may last longer. Plan to check your filter every month to ensure it doesn’t go neglected and strain your system.
2. Improve Household Airflow
The better air flows around your home, the more effectively your furnace will heat your home, helping reduce the operational wear. A key to improving airflow is keeping your registers and return vents open and clear around your home. The air flowing out of registers and back in through return vents creates circulation, helping distribute heated air.
Keep all of your vents open, even in areas you may not use frequently, and keep doors open to rooms that don’t have a dedicated return vent. For each heat register, keep at least 6 inches above and around it cleared of furniture or other objects. You may want to check this frequently in rooms with pets or small children.
3. Set Up Thermostat Programs
Modern digital thermostats often have programs to allow you to adjust the temperature in your home while you’re away. If you have a standard-efficiency furnace, reducing the temperature while you’re gone for the day can lower your energy consumption by up to 10% each winter. To achieve these savings, plan to reduce the temperature by 7 to 10 degrees for at least eight hours each day.
4. Get Annual Maintenance
As a mechanical system, your furnace needs periodic maintenance to keep it working properly. This includes cleaning interior components, checking the condensate drain, balancing the circulating fan, tightening electrical connections and mounting hardware, and testing for possible problems. The ideal time to get it is early in the fall before you start relying on your furnace daily.
5. Fix Problems Early
Whether you notice a performance problem or a technician finds one, plan to have it repaired quickly. When any furnace component works sub-optimally, it strains the rest of the system, increasing wear. This reduces the system’s heating efficiency and causes additional repairs and a shorter service life. Further, it increases the risk of the system failing during a winter storm, leading to expensive emergency repairs.
You don’t have to be nervous about running your furnace each winter when you keep your system properly maintained. Call to schedule a maintenance or furnace repair visit for your Arlington Heights, IL home from the dependable technicians at Paragon Mechanical.
