Staying warm is imperative during these colder winter months. Luckily, there are many different ways to heat your home. Furnaces are perhaps the most popular way homeowners keep their homes heated and comfortable. While there are many different sizes, shapes, models and types of furnaces, all of them have to be cleaned and maintained in order to maximize their efficiency and overall performance.
We’ve put together some things to keep in mind when it comes to maintaining your residential furnace in this blog series. Below, you’ll find the first few tips:
1. If you notice your furnace turning on and off very regularly, the thermostat may be to blame. Faulty thermostats sending “mixed messages” to furnaces can cause big problems when it comes to the efficiency of your furnace. It can also cause major issues for your home’s comfort when it is cold. If your thermostat is not functioning properly, it could be causing your furnace to kick on and off far too regularly, leading to wasted energy and temperature fluctuation in your home. If you notice your furnace is kicking on and off in short, irregular intervals, you may have a problem with the thermostat. Fixing or replacing may be a cost effective fix for your heating woes.
2. Your furnace unit should be serviced once per year. Despite being one of the most used home systems and appliances during much of the year, furnaces are often ignored when it comes to inspections and maintenance. Even changing the filter seems like it’s an ignored task on a regular basis with far too many homeowners. Perhaps it is because furnaces are usually hidden in the basement and forgotten about for many. Unfortunately, furnace service and maintenance are crucial to ensuring efficiency and longevity for your heating system. Calling a professional in to have your furnace serviced once per year may cost a small amount of money, but that amount doesn’t even come close to the cost of unfortunate repairs or replacements necessary to fix problems with furnaces that have been left unmaintained and ignored for too long.
3. Think about furnace service at an unpopular time. Speaking of furnace service and maintenance… most people understandably inspect and service their furnaces in the fall or early winter leading up to colder days. While this makes sense in terms of preparation, it’s not necessary that furnace service occurs during this time. Thinking about calling in a professional during the spring months, just after winter, is fine as well. Many contractors and professionals run specials and manufacturers offer rebates and incentives during this furnace “offseason,” potentially saving you some money when you make sure your furnace is in tip-top shape.
Stay tuned for more furnace maintenance tips and reminders coming to the blog shortly. You can always contact BelRed to speak in more detail about getting some help with these (and many more) furnace inspection and maintenance steps.
