This is the time of year where relying on our heating system becomes a necessity more than a luxury. Having a reliable furnace in our geographic location is critical. Your furnace is an appliance just like all the others in your home, and it requires maintenance just like the rest. Often our furnaces get overlooked because it is out of site and out of mind. However, properly scheduled maintenance plan will keep your furnace operating at it's highest performance longer - keeping your family safe in those long, cold winter months.
Here are a couple things that will keep your furnace lasting long, reducing energy costs as much as possible and keep the quality of your home's air the best possible.
Keep your furnace clean
It doesn't matter what type of furnace your have, performing regular maintenance is key for reaching top efficiency. The biggest enemy of your furnace is dust and dirt - which can lower efficiency by over 20% with just 0.042 inches of dirt. You can save a lot of money just by keeping your furnace clean.
Dust and dirt can invade the furnace motor, blower and the filters, so along with changing your filters regularly, you should also clean the other 2 items annually.
Keep your ducts clean
Keeping a clean furnace is good, but if your ducts are dirty, dust and dirt will be recycled back into your furnace. Ducts are responsible for distributing warm air throughout your home and returning stale cool air. The returning air is often more dirty that the warm air as it attempts to clear out pollutants in your home. Over time, pollutants can collect in your ductwork and start restricting airflow - along with constantly distributing dirty air.
You should have your ducts cleaned if you have just moved into a new home, if the airflow appears to be weak, or if there is a lot of humidity in your home.
Furnaces are usually reliable and require little attention. Adding a scheduled maintenance plan and cleanings will give you good peace of mind entering the cold winter season.
At 4 Seasons Heating, Cooling & Electrical, we are experts at keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. If you need furnace maintenance or suspect something isn't quite right with your HVAC system, call us at (204) 953-5700 and we can repair of replace your old unit. We carry many makes and models of heating and cooling systems that not only work with the specs of your home, but also with your budget.
