A sizable portion of utility expenses go toward keeping people cozy in the winter. Because of this, you may be searching for ways to cut heating costs. Ensuring furnace efficiency is one way to save.
Schedule Regular Tune-Ups
Furnaces that aren’t well-maintained tend to waste significant amounts of energy when they run because they must work harder to do the job. Dust will build up on the coils and choke off the airflow, causing your system to run longer to reach your target temperature. The system will fail prematurely because parts will wear down due to lack of lubrication. Then, you’ll incur unplanned replacement costs.
Regular tune-ups ensure that your system will run at peak performance. During a maintenance call, the technician will lubricate moving parts, clean the equipment, test system performance, and fix any problems that they encounter. HVAC experts recommend scheduling maintenance calls yearly.
Perform Your Own Upkeep
There are various tasks that you can perform to keep your furnace running efficiently. Change filters frequently, every 1 to 3 months. Hold the filter up to a light and see if any light shines through the mesh. If you can’t see any light, then it is time for a new filter. If you’re visually impaired, run your hands over the filter to see if there is a thick layer of debris.
Clear space around the furnace. Don’t store belongings in your utility room. Piling stuff near the system can cause a fire.
Also, make sure all your vents are open and that nothing is blocking them. Vents blocked by furniture or curtains or covered over by rugs will make your system work harder.
Closing off vents in unused rooms might seem like a smart way to cut utility costs. Closing vents will instead force your furnace to work against dangerous static pressure that builds up inside your ductwork. Your blower motor will need to work twice as hard to heat the occupied rooms. Your furnace efficiency will decrease considerably. The system may even overheat, which can cause your heat exchanger to crack and allow carbon monoxide to circulate throughout your home.
Choose the Most Efficient Upgrade
You could save money by choosing high-efficiency furnaces. If you’re in the market for an upgrade, you’ll want to compare Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ratings. These ratings let you know how much fuel turns into heat and how much is wasted. A furnace with a 96% Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating means that almost all the fuel becomes heat. High-efficiency furnaces carry steep price tags, but the energy savings are worth it.
Taking these actions may seem like a serious headache at first. But they reap huge rewards. You and your family can stay warm without draining your bank account or encountering stressful emergencies. If you live in Washington, DC or a surrounding area and need furnace replacement services, make your first call to FH Furr.
