When wintertime temperatures plummet, your furnace has to work hard to keep your home warm and comfortable. Unfortunately, you might be making some mistakes with your heating system that make it less effective and less efficient. By knowing about some of the common mistakes that people make with their furnaces, you can avoid making them yourself. We’ve put together a list of some common furnace mistakes and how you can avoid them.
Forgetting Your Air Filter
Air filters are easy to forget because you don’t see them unless you’re looking for them. However, failing to change or clean them makes things much harder on your furnace. The debris, dust, and dirt that the filter catches restrict airflow. When they become too clogged, your furnace can’t cycle warm air like it needs to.
If you have reusable filters, be sure that you’re cleaning them at least once each month. For disposable filters, make sure to change them at least once every 90 days. If you have pets or other indoor air quality concerns, changing them every 30 to 60 days is an even better idea.
Doing Too Much With Your Thermostat
When you come inside after being out in the cold, you may assume that cranking your thermostat up a few extra degrees will help you warm up faster. Unfortunately, that’s not the case at all. In fact, your house isn’t going to get warm any faster than it would if you just left the thermostat settings alone completely.
For example, if you keep your thermostat set on 72 degrees in the winter, walking in and turning it up to 76 doesn’t actually accomplish anything positive. Instead, it just makes your furnace run longer and work harder. Doing this repeatedly speeds up the wear and tear on your furnace’s parts, raises your energy bills, and doesn’t get you warm any quicker.
Skipping Routine Maintenance
You probably don’t skip regular maintenance on your vehicle. Even if you wait until the warning light on your dashboard turns on, you take your car to a mechanic and have it serviced when the time comes.
Unfortunately, lots of people don’t think about having their furnace looked at by a professional until something goes wrong. When you start hearing weird noises or notice that your furnace is struggling, you might call for repair. However, you might be able to avoid those issues by scheduling a routine tune-up. It’s a good idea to schedule these tune-ups in the fall before the harsh temperatures of winter come rolling in.
Avoiding Furnace Mistakes Is Easy
Fortunately, avoiding these common furnace mistakes doesn’t require you to change much of what you’ve already been doing. Making a few minor adjustments to your heating habits might just add years to your furnace’s life expectancy and lower those monthly utility bills that you get in the dead of winter. If you live in Mount Holly, NJ or a surrounding area and need furnace services, make your first call to Raynor Services.
