For your heating system to last for a long time and function efficiently, you should avoid doing things that might hurt it. According to furnace service professionals, there are plenty of things you can do that can hurt your unit. Some of these things include:

Heating up the thermostat

You are bound to heat up the thermostat when you place it near heat sources. Some of the most common heat sources are: sunlight, lamps, stereos, televisions, and other heat generators. When you place the thermostat too close to a heat source, it tends to make the heating appliance fail to work as hard as it’s supposed to.

This is because the thermostat reads the temperature as too high hence it doesn’t signal the heating system to stop producing heat. What is the end results of this? The house remains cold.

For your house to be comfortable, you need to keep the thermostat as far away from any materials that might obstruct it or prevent it from working as effectively as it’s supposed to.

Going for years without hiring a repair professional

The furnace is a set and forget unit, right? You are wrong. Just like any other unit, the furnace develops a wide range of problems that you should keep an eye on and fix them before they get worse.

Unless your furnace is completely new, you should make a habit of hiring a furnace repair professional at least once a year to inspect it and fix any issues it might be having.

You should note that no two contractors are the same; therefore, you should ensure that the contractor you hire is highly experienced and certified to work in your local area.

Regular inspection and repair of the appliance give you peace of mind that everything is running properly. The inspections also make it possible for you to identify the furnace problems when they are still in their initial stages. This eliminates the chances of being caught off-guard as the heating appliance grinds to a halt.

Blocking the air return vents

If you visit most homes, you will find the vents hidden beneath furniture and drapes. This is usually because they aren’t the most attractive pieces in a house. While you might be trying to give your house a beautiful look, by hiding the vents you might be reducing the efficiency of the heating appliance.

The covered vents also make the heating appliance function harder than it should. This not only means a higher energy bill at the end of the month, it also means that the heating appliance tends to break down fast.

For your appliance to function optimally and efficiently, you should uncover the vents. If they are currently located beneath the furniture or behind the drapes, you should remove them from there. You also should consider dusting them so that they can breathe better.

Using any air filter

Many homeowners know the importance of replacing the air filters. Unfortunately, they don’t care the type of air filters that they use. Most people operating on a budget go for the cheapest pieces that they come across.

These air filters are often flimsy and provide poor quality indoor air. Others go for the most expensive units. While the expensive air filters give better services, they often aren’t the best.

Instead of going by the price tag, pay attention to the HVAC manual and check the recommended units for your unit. If you don’t have access to the manual, ask a professional to guide you through.

The right air filter should provide you with a balance between the removal of airborne particulates and overall heating and cooling of the appliance.

You don’t use the fans

If you visit most homes, you will find the fans gathering dust. Did you know that the fans can make the work of the furnace easier hence you end up saving a lot of energy? Even during the cold months of the year, HVAC companies Arlington VA recommend that you keep the fans moving.

The best way is to reverse the fan’s direction and it will distribute the air throughout the room. Pay attention to the speed of the fans as you don’t want them running too fast to the extent that they end up cooling the house.