Your home furnace is vital because it heats your home during the cold winter months. However, you have to take good care of it to ensure it stays in its top performance. Failure to maintain your furnace could lead to problems such as uneven heating, smelly air, high energy bills, and even risks of carbon monoxide leaks which can be dangerous to your family’s safety. Regular tune-ups and maintenance are essential to ensure the furnace stays efficient, and you also get to experience less or no downtimes. Here are simple practices to maintain your furnace in good condition.
Clean and replace the air filter regularly.
The filter in your furnace plays a critical role in distributing warm air in your house. It also eliminates all kinds of air particulates such as pollen, dust, bacteria, spores, pet dander, dust mites, and other air-borne contaminants, leaving you with cleaner and warm air.
More advanced furnace air filters facilitate improved air quality for the safety of sensitive family members, especially those with allergies, asthma, and respiratory problems. A dirty air filter impedes airflow and causes dirty air in your home. Check your manufacturer’s recommendations or ask furnace experts at Air Makers on how often you should clean or replace it. Ideally, it is best if you change it every 30-90days.
Reduce your home heating load
Reducing your home heating load means sealing any openings that allow the cold winter air to seep in and the warm air to escape. That reduces the heat load or the amount of heat required to keep your home warm during the cold seasons. A furnace specialist can help you identify major sources of heat loss in your home and audit your energy consumption to determine your heating problems. Some home improvements like adding more insulation and weather stripping windows and doors go a long way in reducing your heating requirements.
Ensure the household vents are clear
For your furnace to work efficiently, the air in your home should circulate efficiently through the unit. So you need to ensure the vents are clear and working optimally. Obstructing a vent causes the furnace to work extra hard, reducing its lifespan. So ensure all the vents are open, allowing air to flow freely.
Ensure the blower motor is functioning well
The work of the furnace blower motor is to run the fan that facilitates air movement in the furnace. It pushes the heated air through the heat exchanger and provides air for the unit as well. The furnace blower motor is also situated near the air filter, so failure to maintain it quickly leads to a breakdown. A noisy furnace blower indicates a problem with its electric motor or blower wheel but scheduling furnace repair Toronto can help you make changes before the part deteriorates.
Clean the vents and ductwork
Note that any dirt inside the vents can quickly move to the ducts and reduce the efficiency of your furnace. Use a vacuum to clean the floors around your furnace to ensure they are free from dust, pet hair, and other debris. You should also consider having the vents and ductwork professionally cleaned, which keeps a lot of furnace problems at bay.