The second you leave your home and set foot out into the frigid weather, you immediately look forward to returning to the warmth you just parted from. As night approaches and temperatures drop, you rush home to be once again reunited with warmth and comfort. Unfortunately, when you reach home, you begin to hear a clunking sound coming from your furnace — or worse, your furnace stops pumping warm air out altogether.
Homeowners are understandably less concerned with the condition their heating system until something goes wrong. To avoid enduring a cold night wrapped in a plethora of blankets, socks, and mittens, you should understand how to keep your heating system running smoothly. The heating technicians at Curtis Total Service provide furnace installations in Lehigh Valley, PA for systems that are well beyond the point of repair. To avoid untimely expenses, it helps to learn ways you can expand the lifespan of your heating system.
- Turn your thermostat down when you leave the house
It’s no secret that the harder your furnace works, the sooner it’ll give out. Using it when it’s necessary and not overworking it is the best way to ensure it’ll hold up for years to come. When you turn a furnace off while you’re away, not only does it take more time and energy to then go back to the desired temperature, but it also results in a higher utility bill. Programmable thermostats are a great way to schedule temperatures to rise or fall during those hours of the day where no one is home.
- Avoid letting cold air into your home
Heating systems are typically overworked when a house has constant cold air running through it. A drafty house in the winter is what forces your furnace to work overtime to sustain the desired temperature while cold air continues to come through. Adding insulation to windows, doors, and walls is an excellent way to ensure your heat stays trapped inside.
- Don’t crank up the thermostat when you’re cold
After being exposed to the brisk weather outdoors, our instincts tell us to crank up the heat as soon as we get indoors. It’s a misconception that it’s going to get warmer faster if you turn the thermostat up high. The furnace will work the same if you set it to 70 than it will if you set it to 75. To avoid a high utility bill, fight your instinct, be patient, and leave the thermostat at its usual temperature.
- Change your air filter
Regular maintenance on your boiler or furnace system is imperative, not only so it runs smoothly, but so that you don’t notice its deficit reflected in your energy bills. Replacing the air filter in your heating system ensures your home maintains healthy air quality. A filter should be replaced periodically or depending on the type and quality of the air filter you purchase. When an air filter is left unchanged, over time, air particles begin to build-up and clog the filter, causing a block in airflow. When an air filter is clogged with dirty air particles, your furnace is forced to work harder to emit heat.
- Invest in annual maintenance
This notion of “out of sight, out of mind” is the reason homeowners have to replace their furnace earlier than its anticipated lifespan. It isn’t until it’s too late that people rush to repair or install a new furnace when the issue could have been easily avoided. Having a professional heating technician conduct an annual inspection and maintenance of your heating system is the best way to ensure efficiency and maximize the longevity of your furnace. Heating system maintenance is recommended prior to the winter season so that you are less likely to experience the inconvenience of replacing your furnace at a time when you need it most.
Don’t wait until a problem arises — get ahead of the game. For heating system repairs in Macungie, PA, visit Curtis Total Service for expert HVAC services. Our technicians are equipped to repair, replace, or maintain various heating systems. Call us at 610-770-9045 to schedule an appointment today.