When temperatures dip down into the “air hurts my face” temperatures, you can bet your heating system is working really hard to keep you and your home warm. Strain can happen on any age of furnace when extremely cold temperatures move in for any amount of time. Give your furnace a helping paw by remembering these five tips.
1. Get regular maintenance done and always call a professional at the first sign of trouble.
Having maintenance performed on your equipment seasonally, before extreme temperatures come, can help keep your equipment running for its expected lifespan, increase efficiency and reduce chances of furnace failure. Many companies, like Tonna Mechanical, offer maintenance plans that will help save you big bucks in the long run. If you ever run into trouble, always call right away! Letting your home sit too long can lead to even bigger mechanical problems like frozen pipes.
2. Don’t set the temperature too low when you leave.
You may think you’re doing your furnace and wallet a favor, but it will cause strain on your furnace as it will have to run longer to get back up to your preferred temperature. Setting your thermostat a few degrees lower than usual is just fine. When you set it far below your comfort level you’ll come home to either a cold house or a furnace that is still running from when you increased that temperature from your WiFi Thermostat.
3. Now this one will help your wallet…
Keep your air filters clean! Not only will it help with air quality in your home, it will also lessen the work your furnace needs to do by increasing efficiency and lowering cost. Clean air filters are essential for your furnace to move air correctly. During extremely cold temperatures when your furnace is already running on over-time, having a clean and properly placed air filter will lessen the workload.
4. Clear your vents.
Move furniture away from vents. That warm air isn’t doing you any favors keeping the bottom of your couch or table lamp warm. HVAC units make a bigger impact on your home’s comfort level when vent openings can easily push air into the room. Having clean air ducts can also help with the indoor air quality and your furnace’s efficiency.
5. Clear ALL your vents!
Make sure exhaust vents and pipes are cleared. Snow and other debris can sometimes pile up near or in exhaust vents causing your furnace to suffer or completely give up. This can not only be a costly headache in the dead of winter, it can also be dangerous.