While furnaces have been around for a long time, furnace repair service providers report that many homeowners do a number of things that not only compromise the efficiency of the units, but also drive them to an early grave. Here are some of the bad things that people do to their units:
Changing the air filter once a year
Many homeowners know that they need to replace their air filters every now and then. Unfortunately, many do it when it’s too late. The end result is the furnace working harder than it should hence you constantly have a high energy bill at the end of the month.
For you to keep your heating system in good shape, you should regularly clean and replace the air filter. When it comes to cleaning, you should clean the air filter at least once a month. You should note that sometimes the unit is too dirty or damaged for cleaning.
In such a case, you have to replace it. Heating unit repair experts recommend that you should change the air filters every 4-6 weeks during periods of heavy use. When you aren’t using the air filters too much, you can get away with replacing them a few weeks later.
Thinking that a high-efficiency furnace is the only solution to high power bills
When many homeowners experience problems with their furnaces, they have the impression that the only way of solving them is by investing in a high-efficiency furnace. While the unit might help in some areas, it often isn’t the only solution. There are plenty of many other things you can do to save on your power bills. Some of these things include:
- Sealing the house doors and windows
- Installing high-efficiency window units that will prevent heat transfer
- Sealing cracks on the home’s interior and exterior walls
- Reducing the temperature of the thermostat by a few degrees
- Undertaking regular ductwork inspections to fix leaks
When you notice your monthly bill going up, you shouldn’t rush to purchase a new appliance. Try one of the above tricks and hopefully you will get the issue fixed.
Closing the vents and registers in the unused spaces
It might seem like a good move closing the vents and registers in order to save some energy, right? It’s actually a bad one. You should note that most of the current homes use forced-air heating systems that are able to detect and balance the pressure levels in every room. This ensures that the furnace distributes heat evenly across the house.
When you close the vents and registers in the rooms that you aren’t using, you disturb the balance which triggers the furnace to work harder than it should. The end result is you having a large power bill at the end of the month.
For you to save energy and ensure that your furnace has a long life, you should keep the vents and registers open all the time.
In addition to getting rid of any blocking materials that you might have installed, you also should ensure that the registers and vents aren’t blocked by rugs, books, furniture, clothes, and other objects.
Increasing the thermostat settings in order to heat up the house fast
When you are out in the cold, when you get into the house you want to be warm as fast as possible. What do most people do? They crank up the thermostat, which is usually wrong.
You should note that the furnace heats up spaces at the same rate regardless of the temperature you set on the thermostat. This means that when you set the thermostat high, you won’t be doing much. In fact, it has been shown to damage the heating unit as you force it to work harder than it should.
When you get into the house, you should set the thermostat at your desired temperature and wait for the furnace to do its work.
Failing to maintain the furnace
While many homeowners know that they need to give their furnaces optimum care, most don’t. Which is wrong. For you to keep your unit in top working condition, you should hire a furnace service Falls Church professional at least once a year to inspect the unit and fix any issues it might be having.
