Furnaces play a fundamental role in keeping your home warm in cold winter months. They work together with your air conditioning system to keep your home energy-efficient and comfortable all year round. As a homeowner, you probably know how important they are in keeping your energy bills down. That is why regular check-ups and maintenance are necessary to keep your furnace running and also to avoid breakdowns or costly repairs.
In this post, we will look at the importance of furnace maintenance – the role they play in maximizing the efficiency and longevity of your furnace. We will also look at some furnace maintenance tips to help you learn more about maintenance.
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The Importance of Furnace Maintenance And Repairs
There are many benefits you stand to gain by carrying out regular furnace maintenance. Some of them include:
It Increases Its Efficiency
Your furnace does a lot of work to keep your homework. As a result, it may undergo wear and tear in its parts from constant use. The only way to ensure your furnace maintains its efficiency in warming your home is to carry out regular maintenance.
It Saves You Money
Part of furnace maintenance includes cleaning your furnace. This is highly important as it prevents your furnace from getting clogged up. When your furnace gets clogged, it uses more energy to produce heat. This higher energy consumption would mean an increase in your energy bills.
It Increases The Lifespan Of Your Appliance
Regular maintenance of your appliances ensures their smooth running and operation. Through scheduled maintenance, you’ll be able to discover faults that need repairs and then fix those faults before it leads to worse problems. You can also discover parts of the appliance that are worn out and need to be changed and make the necessary replacement, and so on. Altogether this can go a long way to add extra years to your appliance.
It Reduces The Occurrence Of Risks
Because scheduled maintenance can help you notice faults on time, it can help to prevent sudden breakdowns, which can lead to certain risks. One such risk is bad airflow. Furnaces rely on combustion to generate heat, but they also produce gasses such as carbon monoxide in the process. Any leak of this gas through your furnace into your home can be dangerous as it can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. During routine checks, your technician would check for possible signs of carbon monoxide leaks and repair any source of a leak where necessary to ensure proper flow of air from your furnace.
Furnace Maintenance Tips For Homeowners
While it’s essential to have scheduled maintenance where you’ll have professionals inspect your furnace, there are also some maintenance tasks you can carry out regularly on your own. They include:
- Change The Air filter
A dirty or clogged air filter restricts airflow and causes your furnace to work more than it should. This would lead to lower efficiency and higher energy costs. To prevent this from happening, you must replace your air filter every 3 months.
- Clean the blower
The blower of your furnace helps to circulate air in your home. Over time, dust and other debris can accumulate on the blower reducing its efficiency. Cleaning the blower regularly would ensure it functions smoothly, thereby extending the life of your furnace.
- Check The Flue
Exhaust gasses produced by the furnace are channeled out of the furnace through the flue. But over time, dust particles can accumulate on the flue, which causes the furnace to work harder to expel the gasses. If proper care is not taken, a fire hazard may ensue. However, cleaning the flue at time intervals can help to avoid this problem.
- Check the heat exchanger
The heat exchanger is what heats the air in your furnace. With constant use, it can become worn out and need to be changed. A worn-out heat exchanger will reduce the efficiency of your furnace, so ensure you check it from time to time to know when it needs to be replaced.
There’s no doubt maintaining your furnace ensures that it stays at its best by preventing the occurrences of breakdowns, improving its efficiency, and extending its lifespan. If you’re avoiding furnace maintenance or repairs due to the costs involved, then you should know that it may cost you more money to carry out major repairs in the long run. Regularly scheduled maintenance is the best way to ensure you get the best out of your furnace and enjoy constant warmth in your home.
