You may not think about your furnace very often, but when it stops working efficiently, you notice. Your home may not feel as warm as it used to, and you will likely see your utility bills steadily climb. Here are five tips to boost your furnace’s efficiency while keeping your home comfortable.
1. Take Advantage of Thermostat Programs
Most modern digital thermostats have programs to help you manage your home’s temperatures. The idea is that you don’t need to strain your system as much when you’re not there to enjoy it.
Further, the Department of Energy estimates that you can save up to 10% of your annual heating costs using these programs. Look for the times when you’re least likely to notice that your home is a few degrees cooler, like when you’re at work or sleeping. Then, program your thermostat to lower the temperature for those periods and automatically raise it again when you need heat.
2. Put Your Ceiling Fans to Work
Hot air rises, which means without any intervention, the warmth your furnace generates ends up settling at your ceiling. Your ceiling fans are an incredible tool for bringing that heat back down.
Simply change the direction the fan spins so that it turns clockwise, and then run it on low. This draws the cool air up, forcing the warm air down without creating the cooling effect you enjoy over the summer.
3. Keep Your Filters Clean
Your furnace’s efficiency is directly tied to its ability to circulate air, both through your home and through the system. If it cannot draw air in, it cannot push warm air out, causing it to run longer cycles or even overheat.
To prevent these headaches, keep your system’s air filter clean. Check it monthly to see if it needs replacing. If needed, you can boost your efficiency between changes by gently vacuuming off the filter when you check it.
4. Open Vents and Doors
To evenly heat your home, your system depends on creating high and low air pressure at your vents. Your supply vents create high pressure, while the return vents create low pressure, causing circulating air movement.
Closed vents and doors throughout your home inhibit your system’s ability to circulate air and heat your home evenly. Whenever possible, keep vents and doors open, even in unused portions of your home.
5. Give Your Unit Regular Checkups
Your furnace gets dirty over time, both from airborne contaminants and from the by-product of burning fuel. It requires regular deep cleaning to keep it working efficiently.
Routine maintenance delves into the deeper parts of your system and cleans the problematic areas. Plus, a technician tightens electrical connections and mounting hardware to prevent unnecessary strain. Finally, they test the unit, searching for any evidence of components wearing out before they have the chance to stress the entire system.
Make sure your furnace is ready to handle the unusual cold snaps that occasionally hit the Eatonton, GA area. Call the experts at Superior Heating & Air to schedule your furnace maintenance appointment today.