Just as some people don’t know how to handle cars and yet they have been around for a long time, there are others that don’t know how to handle their furnaces, despite being around for centuries. Are you a new homeowner? Here are a few things you should know about your furnace as given by furnace service professionals:
Understand your unit
While furnaces do the same work, they are different in many ways. There are those that use oil, electricity, and even natural gas. The units also come in different shapes and sizes. If you just moved to a new house, you need to know about all of the details. You need to know the age of the furnace, its SEER, HSPF energy rating and any other details, regardless of how minor they are.
When you do this, you not only know how to maintain your unit, you are also able to identify the source of the problem when it comes about.
If you have an issue about the unit that you don’t understand, don’t shy away from asking a professional to guide you through.
Are you buying a new unit for your home? You need to know plenty of things for you to buy the right one. As rule of thumb, ensure that you buy a unit of the right size. While a large appliance might be attractive, it tends to consume a lot of heat leading to you having a high energy bill at the end of the month.
On the other hand, investing in a small unit will lead to you having a poorly heated house. This is because the unit won’t heat the house as well as its supposed to.
If you aren’t sure of the right size of furnace that you should go for, get the input of an expert. In addition to size, you also should consider the energy rating of the furnace. As a rule of thumb, invest in a unit with a high energy rating. While it will be expensive to buy at the start, the extra amount will be worth it in the long run.
Pay attention to the air filters
The air filters determine the quality of air in the house. For the air to be fresh, you need to keep the air filters clean all the time. When you are moving into a new house, don’t assume that the previous owners replaced the filters before they left.
As the new homeowner, your first activity should be to inspect the air filters and determine whether they are clean. If they aren’t, clean them. In some cases, you might find that they are too dirty, old, or damaged. In such a case, you should simply replace them.
Even if your home is brand new, the contractors might have used the HVAC system to dry out the house in order to make it ideal for drying paint, adhesives, and other materials. Just like when you would move into a house that was previously occupied, you should take time to inspect the filters and if dirty, clean them.
You should avoid using a furnace with dirty air filters. This is because it tends to work harder than it should, keeping your heating costs too high than they should. A furnace functioning with dirty filters also tends to break down fast forcing you to buy a new unit, which as you know, doesn’t come cheap.
Undertake regular inspections
Inspecting the furnace once isn’t enough—you need to make it your goal to regularly inspect the unit. For ideal results, you should hire furnace contractors at least once a year to go around the appliance and fix any issues that might be there.
You should be cautious of the contractor you hire as you don’t want to work with someone who will cause more harm to your appliance. In addition to the contractor being experienced, you also should ensure that he/she is a member of the various regulatory bodies.
This way you are sure that heating service repair Falls Church professional has the necessary and latest knowledge to properly inspect the appliance and fix it in the event there is a problem.
