If your heating system has been working overtime for years to keep your Cedarburg, WI house warm and comfortable, it may be time to get it serviced. Although standard furnaces have a lifetime of 15 years, they frequently fail due to improper maintenance. Attention and regular maintenance, on the other hand, can make your furnace survive longer than its actual lifecycle. The following provides a few pointers to help you extend the lifecycle of your heating system and keep it in good working order.
Replace Your Air Filters
A clogged filter will make your furnace work harder. Dust, dirt, and other indoor contaminants are held in your filter, so they don’t recirculate through the air in your house. If you don’t replace that clogged-up filter, your system will have to work harder to pull air through it, potentially resulting in costly furnace repairs.
So, how frequently should you change your HVAC filter? The general rule is to change it every two to three months. However, if you have pets or household members with allergies, try changing your filter each month.
Have Your Ducts Cleaned
Your ductwork, like any other equipment, requires frequent cleaning and maintenance. Because air ducts are the medium that allows the heated air to enter your home, they are easily polluted with dirt, allergens, and other particles that degrade your air quality. Furthermore, unclean air ducts make your furnace operate harder than it should, thus reducing its lifespan.
As a result, to enhance your home’s air quality, arrange professional HVAC ductwork cleaning. If your home has allergic members, pets, or smokers, you should get your ductwork cleaned more frequently.
Upgrade Your Thermostat
The lifespan of your Cedarburg, WI furnace is determined by how hard you push it. If you’re at the office for eight hours daily but keep your furnace on full blast, you’ll be overworking your system and overpaying on your electricity bills.
Invest in a smart thermostat instead of needing to recall setting your thermostat before going out. You may program your thermostat to alter the temperature of your house depending on the time of day. Set your programmable thermostat’s temperature back by 7-10 degrees for eight hours each day to save the most money. This method can save you up to 10% on your heating expenditures.
Insulate Your Home
If your home has any openings through which heated air might escape, you must seal those gaps immediately. The loss of heated air would significantly increase your utility costs and make your heating system work harder to achieve your desired temperature.
Ensure that no heated air is escaping from the gaps in your ductwork, windows, doors, or any other house components. Maintain your home’s insulation and seal all leaks and cracks as soon as possible.
Use Fans Clockwise
Have you ever seen the tiny switch on the back of your ceiling fan? This is where you may change the rotation of the fan blades. Most people believe that ceiling fans are exclusively used to cool space. However, this is only true if the rotors are turned counter-clockwise. Change the direction of your ceiling fan to clockwise to help warm a space. This draws cold air up and forces any heated air from the ceiling downwards along your walls and onto the flooring.
Using this tactic will make your spaces warmer without requiring you to turn on your heating system. In fact, homeowners who utilize ceiling fans during winter can save 15% on heating costs. This also means that you’re not running your furnace until it’s necessary, which considerably extends its lifespan.
Perform Regular Maintenance
The best way of showing that you care about your furnace is by giving it seasonal maintenance. Get expert maintenance on your system every autumn before turning up your heating system. Allowing an HVAC expert to fully examine and clean your entire system on a regular basis may significantly increase the lifespan of your furnace. A clean furnace will not only operate more effectively than a filthy one but having a maintenance check will also allow our experts to notice any possible repair issues and solve them immediately before they cause significant harm to your system.
We are a certified, experienced, and licensed company serving Cedarburg, WI residents. Our experts can service or perform annual maintenance to keep your furnace working properly. We also offer furnace installation, cooling services, electrical installation, and indoor air quality service. Call Hometown Heating & Air today to set up an appointment.
