Tips to Maintain Your Furnace & Save Money

Whether you have a new system or want to achieve the best efficiency from your current system, there are some basic maintenance procedures to keep it running at peak performance.

If you have animals, particularly dogs, you may want to keep an eye on them to make sure they aren’t substituting your air conditioner for a fire hydrant. Over the long term this animal behavior will cause serious damage to your unit.

The old adage ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is not a good plan to follow with your heating equipment. Show your furnace some love and visit it monthly.

Performing a few easy checks once a month can save you hundreds, even thousands in repairs or replacement.

To maximize efficiency and extend the life of your furnace, air flow is critical. A dirty filter is the primary cause of breakdowns. Set a reminder on your calendar the same day every month to change or clean the filter, it’s an inexpensive way to make sure your system lasts.

For safeties sake, keep the area around your furnace as clutter free and clear of dust, pet hair and dirt as you can.

Today’s systems are very technologically advanced but there are some things you can check before calling a service professional if you aren’t getting heat in your home.

First, check all your intake grills and supply air registers to make sure they are open and clear of any blockage. If your unit has a separate power switch, make sure it is turned to the ‘on’ position. Check breakers or fuses to make sure they haven’t been tripped or blown. If you find a tripped breaker or blown fuse and they continue to fail, then the circuit is pulling too much power and you will need to call a technician.

Next, check your thermostat, make sure it has power and fresh batteries. And it is turned to the right setting for the season ‘heat’ or ‘cool’. You may also try turning up the thermostat five degrees to see if the system kicks on.

When Spring rolls around it’s time to check your air conditioning system. If you find something is wrong, you’ll want to get a service call scheduled before that first hot day of summer.

Make sure the unit is clear of all debris. If you have plants and shrubs around your unit cut them back, give at least two feet of clearance on each side. If your AC unit isn’t starting up, make sure the disconnect switch is on. Once again check the breaker, fuse and thermostat.

And what’s the number one maintenance job every month? Yes, change your filter.

Most people forget that no matter the season air still flows through your filter before it circulates through your home.

After checking all the things we’ve talked about, and if you still are having issues, it’s time for a service call. If you need assistance with your heating or cooling unit, give us a call.