It’s during the coldest temperatures of the winter, a gas furnace will tend to breakdown trying to keep your home in Clarksville safe and comfortable. This adds even more stress to a season that already strains your finances. However, there are things some simple heating maintenance tips you can easily do to keep your furnace happy this winter.
Change You Air Filters During Heating Maintenance
Your furnace cannot run without sufficient air flowing through it, and your filter keeps out contaminants that can clog it. However, that means your filter will itself clog fairy quickly. The standard 1-inch filter should be changed about every 90 days with average air quality. However, you can get more from your air filter by checking it monthly and gently vacuuming off the intake side of the filter. (continue below)
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Calibrate or Replace Your Thermostat
Your thermostat is like any other part of your furnace, it will eventually wear out. In fact, most modern thermostats are only accurate for about 10 to 15 years. Older thermostats also wear out before that time, but may need annual calibration to keep it accurate.
If you have an older thermostat, with a mercury sensor, be sure to have it professionally calibrated. You’d be better served to replace it with a newer, digital model. Be sure you choose a programmable or smart model.
Clear Your Registers
Along with your air filters, your registers are a key to having the air flow through your home properly. To make air circulate around your home and through your system, your furnace must create a difference in pressures. It creates positive pressure at the output vents, and negative pressure at the return vent.
If anything obstructs your vents, it will inhibit the air movement needed for your home. To ensure it does, keep at least a 2-inch clearance above and around every vent.
Check & Seal Your Ducts
Your ducts are responsible for transporting the heat produces at your gas furnace around your home. However, they are also a major source of energy loss if they aren’t properly insulated and sealed.
Have a professional technician run a thermal check on your ductwork to check for leaks, and have them seal any they find. Furthermore, consider having them insulate the ducts that run through exposed areas to maintain the temperature as air moves through them.
Set Your Ceiling Fans
Many people love their ceiling fans over the summer to help reduce the need for running the air conditioner as much. However, they have just as important a function in the winter.
On the side of the fan is a little switch that changes the direction the fan spins. When the fan spins clockwise, it pushes air down, which is perfect for providing a cooling effect over the summer.
Over the winter, you want to turn the fan on low but have it spin counterclockwise. This will pull cool air up, which will also push warm air down. The effect will keep the warmer air at a level that helps make the room comfortable, reducing the load on the furnace.
Fix Minor Repairs Quickly
Minor repairs all add strain to your system as it runs. They’ll make the system either short-cycle due to sensing overheating, or run long cycles because of reduced airflow or heating power.
Either way adds wear to the entire system, increasing the need for repairs. It also increases your utility consumption, driving up all of your operational costs.
Use Your Thermostat’s Programs
While some people advocate you’ll get the most efficiency from keeping your furnace at the same temperature all day, this isn’t full accurate. It is true this is more efficient than constantly changing the temperature. However, according to the Department of Energy, you can save up to 10% of your heating bill by reducing your temperature for about 8 hours a day by 7 to 10 degrees.
In addition to saving you money on your utilities, it also reduces the workload on your gas furnace during these times. Most people have several hours that could easily reduce the temperature, such as during the workday or at night.
If you have a modern thermostat, chances are it has programmable features. Plan to utilize these features to automate this process. If you have a smart learning model, it’ll automatically create a program for you based on how you set the temperatures throughout the day.
Routine Furnace Maintenance
One of the stresses associated with owning a furnace in Clarksville is not knowing when it may break down. When it does, it usually happens during the coldest part of the winter, leaving your family in the cold.
Professional maintenance addresses many of the previous concerns head on. First, your technician will clean your heat exchanger and circulating fan, dealing with any deep airflow restrictions.
They will also test each component to ensure they are working correctly. If they find a problem, you have the opportunity to resolve it before it becomes a bigger issue.
Keep your furnace happy this winter while protecting your wallet. Call the experts at DOC Heating & Cooling to schedule your fall furnace maintenance today.
Call an Experienced Professional if Your System is MalfunctioningDo you have an extremely old system? Are you seeing or hearing things that weren’t there before? If you suspect that the system is not working properly, you should call a professional as soon as possible.
A few signs that the system is in trouble include abnormal noises or smells, an extremely cold home, expensive bills, and frequent shutoffs. Regardless of the concern, an experienced professional can solve the problem and perform the necessary repairs before an emergency occurs.
Heating Maintenance and AC Tune-up costs are much more reasonable than having a costly repair later. Whether you live in Clarksville, TN or somewhere close by, the professionals at DOC Heating and Cooling are ready to help. The highly-trained technicians are available 24/7 for emergency calls and for regular maintenance to help keep your heating & cooling system running smoothly.
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Whether you live in Clarksville, TN or somewhere close by we are ready to help. Our highly trained technicians are available 24/7 to keep your heating & cooling system running smoothly.
My sister noticed that her furnace is not providing enough heat, which is why she has decided to start looking for repair service. Thank you for sharing here as well that it would be smarter to have its filter checked. I also agree with you that preventive maintenance is a must.
Thanks for the reminder that having ceiling fans can also affect how a heating unit operates. I’m interested in looking for a heating maintenance contractor soon because I’m planning to look for a good way to make my home a lot cozier for the winter. Optimizing my home’s heating will surely be the right place to start.