Summer is officially over, and fall has arrived. Fall brings changing leaves, back to school and cooler temperatures; before you know it winter will be here. Prepare for the winter by making your furnace more efficient now. The best time to increase the productivity of your furnace is before you need to use it. So don’t be caught in the cold, follow these steps to making your furnace more efficient today! Remember, every step of the way Mid Atlantic Heating & Cooling is here to help you.
Get an Annual Checkup
The best time to get an annual checkup for your furnace is before the heating season. An experienced technician from Mid Atlantic Heating & Cooling will assess, clean and repair your furnace during an annual inspection. An annual furnace checkup extends its life and potentially saves you from more expensive repairs. The most important reason to get an annual furnace inspection is because of the safety and peace of mind it brings to your home and family knowing your furnace is operating correctly.
Check/Replace your Air Filter
One of the easiest ways to improve your furnace’s efficiency is by checking and changing the air filter. No matter how clean your house is dust, hair, and dirt will get into your air ducts. When your air filter is dirty, it blocks the air flow your furnace needs making it work harder and longer to warm your house. When changing your air filter be sure to check your manual to make sure you’re replacing it with one that is the proper size or to find out if you can manually wash your air filter and reuse it.
Update your Thermostat
If your thermostat only tells you the current temperature in your home and turns your furnace on and off, then it’s time to upgrade to a programmable thermostat. If you’re the type of person that remembers to turns off your furnace every single time you leave the house, then you deserve an award. Because truthfully, it’s a hassle to remember to turn your furnace off or adjust the temperature every time you leave or when you go to sleep. A programmable thermostat allows you to create a schedule for when your furnace will turn on and off and what the temperature it will be at. You can set your programmable thermostat to turn your furnace on a little before you wake up in the morning or come home from work, so you never have to wait for your house to heat up. A programable thermostat is convient and saves you money.
Seal the Seams
In the HVAC world, it’s common knowledge that 20% of your heat escapes through holes and seams in your system. Seal up holes and seams with special adhesive backed foil tape or duct sealing mastic. Funny enough either of these options are more effective at sealing off holes and seams than duct tape is.
Insulate
Older heating systems are not frequently insulated meaning heat is lost in spaces that don’t need to be heated like the attic. Insulating your system allows warm air to travel where you want it. Insulation for your furnace comes in tubes, blankets, and wrap-on rolls so you can put it anywhere you need it.
If you’ve tried all of these suggestions and your furnace still isn’t working as efficiently as you want it could be that your furnace is the wrong size for your home. If your furnace is the wrong size, it will never be able to heat your home effectively. The other reason these suggestions didn’t vastly improve the strength of your furnace is because your furnace is over ten years old. A furnace over ten years old was not built with the same technology as newer furnaces, and no trick is going to increase the heat it generates substantially.
It doesn’t matter if you need to replace your furnace, get an annual check up or install a new thermostat Mid Atlantic Heating & Cooling’s talented technicians are here to help make your furnace as efficient as possible.
