During winter, the last thing you want is a malfunctioning furnace. While it’s common for furnaces to malfunction, there are a number of things you can do to keep your unit in a top working condition the entire heating season. Here are some of the things you can do as given by furnace service providers:
Ensure the filters are clean all the time
The filters determine the quality of air that gets into your unit. Their role is to prevent dust and hair from clogging the heating unit. When you go for months without replacing the filter, it tends to clog with debris.
As a result of this, the furnace works harder than it should. This not only leads to high energy consumption, it also takes the furnace to an early grave.
For you to keep your furnace in good shape, you should make a habit of cleaning the air filters at least once every month. You can change the filters more often than this if you have pets or you recently made house renovations.
Sometimes cleaning the filters is enough to keep the furnace working optimally, but in some cases, the filters are too dirty or old for cleaning. In such a case, all you need to do is to replace them.
When undertaking the replacement, go for high-quality pieces that will not only last for a long time, but also give you ideal results.
Make use of a programmable thermostat
A programmable thermostat allows you to control your house temperature remotely. You can also schedule the temperature in your house at different times of the day. For example, you can set the unit to work slower during the night.
During weekends and days when you are aren’t at home, you can switch it off or set it to heat the house at the most minimum level.
Many people have the notion that programmable thermostats are expensive, but this isn’t the case. Yes, it will cost you a few dollars but it will save you a lot of money in the long run. it also will give you a lot of convenience.
Keep the registers open and clean
There is no way the thermostat will keep the house warm if the air isn’t circulating effectively around the house. To ensure that the unit is functioning at its optimal level, ensure that the registers aren’t blocked by furniture or other materials.
Just like air filters, you should regularly inspect the registers and if there is dust in them, get rid of it as soon as possible. When you allow the dust to stay in the unit for a long time without removing it, it will eventually clog the registers thus your unit won’t work as effectively as it should.
There has been a surge of decorative registers. While the registers are beautiful to look at, studies show that they tend to restrict as much of 50% of air flow. If you can, you should avoid installing them in your home.
You have to prioritize what is important to you. Do you want beautiful registers or those that function optimally? it’s up to you to make the decision.
Make use of house curtains
Many people use curtains to keep off the prying eyes of strangers from seeing the insides of their houses. Did you know you can use the curtains to keep your house warm? You should keep the curtains closed at night thus preventing heat loss to the cold outdoors.
During the day, open the curtains on the south or west facing windows. This allows the sunshine to enter the house and heat the insides of the house. Do you have north facing windows in your house, keep them closed even during the day.
Make use of ceiling fans
It might sound weird using the ceiling fan during winter but studies show that using the fan aids in evening out the overall warmth of the air in the house. Basic physics teaches that heat naturally rises and collects near the ceiling.
When you run the ceiling fan on low, you push the hot air down to the floor thus keeping your house warm and comfortable.
HVAC companies Falls Church observe that you need to keep the fans in top shape. This calls for you to lubricate them when necessary.
