Maintaining Your Furnace
A properly working furnace keeps your family warm, while lowering costs.
Don’t let your winter be ruined by the chill and soaring bills associated with poorly maintained heaters.
Maintaining your furnace can be as simple as regularly changing the filter. In some cases, however, you may have to take a deeper look to figure out what’s going on.
FILTER REPLACEMENT
The filter plays a crucial role in maintaining air quality, as it removes things like dust, pollen, spores and pet dander. This can be particularly important for those who suffer from asthma or allergies. Inexpensive filters will provide a basic level of protection, catching many of these irritants. More expensive versions of these filters will often do more for the most sensitive — but check the owner’s manual or ask a local professional before installing one. Some high-efficiency filters may not be compatible with your unit.
Whichever filter you choose, remember that a dirty one doesn’t work properly. Your filter should be changed every three months, if not more often. Old filters impede airflow into the furnace, keeping it from operating at designed efficiency. Your home may not heat as well as it should, and costs could sharply rise as winter drags on.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT
If your furnace blower is noisy, that usually indicates an issue with its electric motor or blower wheel. Listen for shrill sounds that follow when metal surfaces grind together, which could be caused when the blower wheel is loose. Loud humming sounds are typically related to an electrical issue. Contact a trained professional to have a look. In the meantime, identify and correct any sources of air loss in the home, since that makes the unit work harder than it should. Local HVAC companies provide home-energy audits which can offer more comprehensive details. Those with gas furnaces should make sure that the exhaust flue going outside is clear.
All of these systems should be regularly cleaned to guarantee that they’re running at optimal levels. Make sure registers are free of excess dust, debris and pet hair, since these things can move into the ductwork and reduce the unit’s efficiency. Beyond this every day maintenance, consider having your entire ductwork cleaned by a professional every few years – in particular if you have had significant work done on your home.