Getting Better Performance from Your Appliances, Part 2: Your Furnace

Written on: February 19, 2019

When it comes to comfort and safety, your furnace might be the most important appliance in your home; it’s also the most costly to operate.
In this second post of a four-part series on getting better performance from your appliances, we will take a look at getting more your furnace so you can enjoy reliable heat and lower bills all winter long.

Five keys to getting more from your furnace

1. Check the furnace air filter regularly – One of the most important maintenance tasks you have as a furnace owner is to check and replace or clean your air filter regularly. Many manufacturers recommend checking your air filter every three months or so, but we recommend doing it more often – about every 30 days or so, especially if you have pets. This will prevent your furnace from having to overwork to keep your home comfortable.
2. Get routine heating maintenance every year – A furnace will lose about five percent efficiency each year it does not receive professional heating maintenance. If you want to avoid that performance drop-off and prolong the life of your equipment, prevention is the key.
3. Weatherize and insulate your home – Make sure your attic and the rest of your home has enough insulation to keep warm air in and cold air out of your home (the insulation in most Connecticut homes – especially older ones – often doesn’t comply with R-Values recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy). Air leaks around doors and windows can be a big problem, too – use inexpensive measures like caulk, weather stripping and door sweeps to keep drafts at bay.
4. Give your furnace a break with a programmable thermostat – You can cut your annual heating bills by as much as 10 percent per year by turning down the heat when you are out of the house or asleep. Running your furnace less often will also save wear and tear on your equipment, which could prolong the life of your equipment.
5. Make sensible upgrades – There will come a point when replacing your furnace will be more sensible than sinking money into heating system repair. If your equipment is more than 12 to 14 years old or has been experience a drop off in performance, an equipment upgrade might be the best way to go to get more bang for your furnace buck.

Time for a furnace upgrade? We can help! Contact the pros at Ace-Robbins to get a FREE, no obligation estimate on a high efficiency furnace (or boiler) installation for your northeast Pennsylvania home!
Next week: Tips for your furnace