Extend the Life of Your Furnace With These 5 Simple Tips

When you live in the Twin Cities, having a properly maintained and high-functioning furnace is essential. Unfortunately, though, many homeowners don’t give furnace cleaning or maintenance a second thought until something goes wrong with their unit. That’s the wrong way to maintain a high-functioning heating unit.

Rather than being reactionary, being proactive with your furnace maintenance will help extend the life of your heating system and improve its efficiency. Read on to learn five simple tips for prolonging the life of your furnace and improving its performance.

Change Air Filters Frequently

If you’re like most homeowners, you don’t change your HVAC filters often enough. And dirty, clogged HVAC filters can decrease the efficiency of your heating system and ultimately, diminish the lifespan of your furnace.

When air cannot flow through the filters easily, your system must work harder than necessary to keep your home at a constant temperature. Not only that, but clogged filters can’t trap airborne particulate matter as they’re designed to, which means those particles will travel into your HVAC system and clog it up, too.

To maintain a high-functioning HVAC system (which includes your furnace, air conditioner, and ductwork) change your filters every three months at the very least. If you have pets, wall-to-wall carpet, or you smoke indoors, replace them more often.

Ensure Your Home Has Adequate Insulation

When your home lacks adequate insulation, your furnace must work double-time to keep the interior of your home warm. And anytime you force a piece of machinery to work longer than necessary, it’ll inevitably burn out sooner than you’d like. To reduce strain on your furnace and thereby improve its lifespan, consider:

●        Adding insulation to your attic

●        Inspecting windows and doors for leak and sealing them properly

●        Upgrading single-pane windows to multi-pane, insulated windows

●        Upgrading aging doors

●        Sealing cracks between floorboards and anywhere else you find them

Schedule Annual Furnace Cleaning and Maintenance

Like any household appliance, your furnace requires routine maintenance to perform optimally. If you’re not currently scheduling annual furnace cleaning and maintenance appointments, now is the time to start.

Getting routine furnace cleaning from a qualified professional will ensure your heating unit remains free of debris that can interfere with its functioning. And, because a furnace cleaning specialist will also inspect your unit for potential issues, he can alert you to the need for minor furnace repairs. Taking care of small problems before they grow worse is the best way to prevent premature system breakdown. 

Keep Your Ductwork Clean

Maintaining clean ductwork is one of the simplest things you can do to improve furnace performance and lifespan. Regular duct cleaning controls the amount of dust and debris that collects in your ducts, so it doesn’t end up inside your furnace unit and diminish its performance.

A duct cleaning specialist can also alert you to potential ductwork issues, such as minor leaks in the system, which can decrease furnace efficiency. Without a professional, you’ll be hard-pressed to detect the early signs of duct leaks on your own.

Consider Upgrading Your Thermostat

If you’re using an analog thermostat, consider upgrading to a programmable unit. Outdated analog controls aren’t nearly as precise as their more advanced, programmable counterparts, which means they don’t detect and control indoor temperature as well. Ultimately, your furnace ends up working overtime with these units simply because they’re not as efficient as newer models.

Schedule Comprehensive Duct Cleaning & Furnace Cleaning in the Twin Cities

If you’re ready to take great care of your HVAC system, our team at Dust Doctors is ready to help you do it. We specialize in comprehensive furnace cleaning, a/c cleaning, and duct cleaning for Twin Cities homeowners because we know how important good indoor air quality is for maintaining overall health.

To get started, give us a call today at 651-319-9777, request a free quote, or send us a message to learn more.