How You Can Help Your Furnace Live Longer
Your furnace works hard to keep your home nice and warm all winter long. However, like any other utility, it does best with regular maintenance to ensure it runs as efficiently as possible and to reduce the risk of any inconvenient breakdowns. Maintaining your furnace can help it last years longer, especially compared to a neglected system. It also means more affordable energy use!
1. Keep the Area Near Your Furnace Clear
Keeping the area around your furnace clean ensures steady, unobstructed airflow. Make sure the area is kept dust-free and well clear of hazardous materials. This avoids fire and similar safety risks, ensuring your furnace circulates more effectively.
2. Schedule Yearly HVAC Tune-Ups
Annual maintenance from a certified HVAC professional helps promote your furnace’s long-term performance. During the appointment, your technician examines, services and otherwise tunes up the system for best performance. This preventative care detects small issues sooner rather than later, preventing costly repairs. A regular inspection also improves efficiency, saving you more money on energy bills.
3. Invest in Your Home’s Energy Efficiency
Another way to reduce your furnace’s overall 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 keep heat from escaping, allowing your furnace to maintain a comfortable temperature. Whenever your furnace runs efficiently, it experiences less wear and tear, increasing its lifespan.
4. Address Any Repairs Immediately
If you begin to notice any strange sounds, temperature inconsistencies or higher energy bills, don’t wait to check out these red flags. Even small issues can gradually become more severe situations. If left ignored, it could shorten the lifespan of your furnace. Prompt furnace repairs can prevent 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 work overtime, putting extra wear on the entire system. This increased workload results in extra wear and tear. To avoid cutting your furnace’s lifespan short, set your thermostat to a reasonable temperature—for example between 68 and 72 degrees F. You can additionally adjust the temperature by 8 to 10 degrees while you’re out of the house. These strategies save energy and reduce further stress on your furnace.
6. Replace the Filter Regularly
The filter blocks debris, pet hair and other airborne particles to prevent them from entering the system’s more delicate components. Over time, the filter fills up with debris, restricting airflow and making your furnace to operate less efficiently. This unnecessary effort may cause more problems and sometimes more serious issues.
To keep things running smoothly, don’t forget to check and swap out the filter around every 1 to 3 months, depending on how often you use the system and the type of filter in place.
7. Invest in a Modern Furnace When the Time Is Right
If your furnace is showing its age and breaks down more often, it may be time to upgrade. Modern furnaces feature higher performance than ever while reducing energy consumption. Although the initial investment may be higher than a repair, the total lifetime repair costs and increased efficiency make it a smart choice.
8. Use a Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat allows you to truly fine-tune the heating in your home, with features like scheduling automatic setbacks when you’re out or sleeping. This reduces run time, lowering your energy bill and helping preserve the system.
9. Ensure Balanced Airflow
Your furnace will only operate at its best when the circulation between supply and return vents is balanced. Sealing off more than 80% of your supply registers can lead to excess strain or force your furnace to exert more effort than it should. To help keep things running smoothly, make sure that all air vents are open and free from being blocked by any furniture. This allows your furnace to circulate warmth properly.
Trust Crawford Services for Reliable Furnace Maintenance
Properly servicing your furnace reduces the risk of malfunctions, improves long-term performance and can even promote a longer service life. Crawford Services takes pride in helping you maintain a comfortable home environment. Our certified technicians deliver efficient, trustworthy service.
If it’s been a while since your last maintenance visit or if you’re seeking tailored tips to strengthen your furnace, please contact us today!
