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A furnace is one of the main devices that provides warmth in people’s home. So, since it’s an important device, you need to take care of it.  Proper maintenance can reduce technical issues, costly repairs and even save money in the long run.

When the temperatures get really low throughout winter, naturally you’d want to increase the efficiency of your device. But, how do you do that and save money on energy bills? The cost of living has risen so much the past two years, so people are afraid of spending so much money on bills.

If you want to ensure your furnace operates at optimum capacity, you need to make sure nothing disturbs its efficiency. Not many homeowners are aware but there are several factors that can affect furnace efficiency. You need to check out this link to discover more info.

You should also that the furnace’s efficiency is measured by its AFUE rating. The higher the rating, the more efficient your furnace is. For example, if your device has a rating of 95%, this means it uses less fuel to heat your entire house. Anything lower than that requires more fuel.

Speaking of factors that can affect its performance and efficiency, here’s what you need to be aware of:

Dirty Filters

Did you know that dirty air filters decrease your furnace’s efficiency a lot? If you neglect them, dirt and other particles can start to build up preventing air flow from escaping the device for good. If you’ve noticed that the furnace doesn’t heat you adequately, you should definitely look into the filters first.

With clogged filters, the unit will work twice as hard to provide you with what you need and consumes more energy than necessary.

Chancing them can improve its efficiency a lot.  How often you do that depends on several factors like how often you take the time to clean your device, whether you have pets or not, etc. It’s best to check the filters every month just to be sure. A good idea is to check out this page for more tips.

High Thermostat Settings

If you set your thermostat high, your furnace will use a lot of energy to provide warmth to your rooms. Since you want to save on bills and make sure your device runs as smoothly as possible, you need to lower your thermostat until you find a temperature you’re comfortable with. This way, even the load on your furnace will ease.

Very Poor Insulation

The main role of proper insulation is to function as a barrier for your home so no cold air comes through the windows or doors. If you have insolation, all the heat your furnace releases will stay put inside the house and provide your entire family with warmth.

If you don’t have good insulation, the furnace will work harder to achieve the desired temperature. So, if you’re tired of getting high bills each month, consider investing in insulation. This way, your furnace efficiency won’t be affected and you’ll save a lot of money in the long run.

Air Leaks and Leaky Ducts

If you haven’t sealed your ducts properly, don’t be surprised if heated air escapes from your home constantly. This goes for leaks as well. The more you have them around your home, the harder it will be for your furnace to heat the rooms.

What you should do is seal those holes as soon as possible so your device won’t have to waste a lot of energy trying to maintain a constant temperature. Inspect your home thoroughly to locate the issues and fix them quickly before winter arrives.

Conclusion

These are just some of the reasons that might be affecting your furnace’s efficiency. You should make sure to maintain your device as often as you can, because otherwise you’ll end up with costly repairs or perhaps even a replacement furnace. If you want to save as much cash a possible, make sure your furnace serves you for as long as it can.

Davitt Design Build, Idlewild

Even though the sun is still shining, the heat is kicking and the backyard barbeque pool parties are keeping you busy, it’s still time to prep your home for the upcoming fall season. September is here and the fall weather comes fast, and before your know it you will be playing catchup all the way to Christmas.

Tear yourself from the pool for a few moments and read our tips on getting your home ready for fall:

1. Inspect Your Home for Drafts

With fall comes the first hints of winter, which means you’ll have to kick on the furnace here and there. Of course, that costs money, and if you have any draft in your house, it will cost even more money. Rather than paying to heat the great outdoors, spend some time inspecting windows and doors for gaps that might let air in and out.

2. Check out Your Furnace

Those cold nights can come out of nowhere. One week you’ve still got mild weather and the next you’re having the first frost of the season. Getting your furnace inspected by an HVAC serviceman will help you ensure that you have the heat you need when you need it. An inspection will also determine if any maintenance—like air filter replacement—is needed. Such maintenance ensures that your furnace is running at peak efficiency, which saves you money in the long run.

3. Clean the Gutters

Depending where you live, fall can be a time of heavy precipitation. If your rain gutter isn’t clean before this heavy rainfall, you will have a problem on your hands. You can hire someone to clean your gutters if you don’t have a willing husband or teenager to put up to the task.

4. Have the Chimney and Fireplace Inspected

If you’re the type to use your fireplace often during the cold months—who doesn’t love the smell of a real wood fire!—you’ll want to have a professional inspect and clean it. At its most innocent, an improperly maintained chimney and fireplace is an annoyance, sending smoke into the house rather than out of it. But if this has gotten bad enough, it can be a genuine fire hazard.

5. Load up on Firewood

If step four applies to you, then this one does too. Wood fires are cheaper than always relying on your home’s furnace, not to mention how romantic it can be to curl up with that special someone before a real wood fire. However, you can’t save money or enjoy romance unless you have firewood stocked up.

6. Inspect Winter Gear

This means checking out your snow blower and snow tires and the like. You don’t want to wait until that first snow—which we know often comes during the fall—to discover that your snow blower died a quiet death during the summer or that one or more of your snow tires have gone flat. If you do not have a snow blower, check our different types of snow blowers and read reviews online before choosing which one to buy.

7. Decorate Your Home

Finally! Something fun! Having tended to all the essentials, you can now see about getting your home’s interior ready for the coziness of fall. This means digging out all your autumnal colors: your throws and pillows and candles with yellow, orange, and red accents. You’ll also want to find those Halloween decorations or make your own. And of course, don’t forget to adorn your house with flowers in those same hues.

We know you don’t want to think about fall yet. All you want is to blend up another margarita, get back to your pool and take in more of the summer sun while it lasts. And you can! Just find a little time here and there to get your home ready for fall. You’ll be glad you did when that first frost hits and you and yours are sitting before a fire, cozy, contented, and warm!