5 Tips to Get Your Home Furnace to Flawlessly Perform
When you live in a cold region, keeping your home warm during winter is your top priority. Doing so helps you achieve great comfort levels while also boosting your energy, reducing stress symptoms, and helping your body fight off illnesses more effectively.
Luckily, there are many ways you can heat up your living space, from sealing all the windows and doors to rolling out a rug. However, nothing can warm up your home like a high-efficient heating system, especially a furnace.
In general, furnaces are an affordable investment that provides homeowners with plenty of benefits, including increased comfort, improved indoor air quality, and even lower utility bills by up to 10%.
But in order to reap all of these benefits, you should perform regular maintenance and ensure your unit is running smoothly at all times. If you need help, here are five tips to help you get your furnace to perform flawlessly.
Schedule regular furnace checkups
One of the best ways to ensure your furnace is working properly is to schedule regular furnace checkups. This involves hiring a local professional HVAC technician who will inspect your unit, and check to see if all the parts are running efficiently and that there are no major safety issues present. This is basically preventative maintenance, which can help stop bigger problems before they occur.
For example, if you live in southwestern Ontario, search for reputable furnace companies in London Ontario so you can find highly skilled contractors who can service and maintain your unit for a fair price.
Check and change the air filters
Another way to keep your furnace running smoothly is to check and change your air filters. In general, the main purpose of these filters is to trap airborne contaminants such as dust and mold from polluting your indoor air, as well as to keep them out of your heating system.
Because of this, it is important that you clean and change the filters every month or two to prevent clogging. Otherwise, blocked filters will affect the air quality of your home and also make your furnace work harder, which eventually leads to higher energy costs.
Inspect furnace components
The furnace is a complex system that consists of numerous parts that work together to warm up your home. Some of the most important components include the heat exchanger, blower motor, and vents, all of which need to be inspected on a regular basis for optimal function.
For example, the main purpose of the blower motor is to control the airflow from the heating system. If you notice that this part isn’t working up to its potential, you should call up a professional technician immediately to repair the problem and protect yourself from further costly repairs and high utility bills.
Watch out for strange noises and smells
Another important thing you need to do to ensure your furnace is performing flawlessly is to watch out for strange noises and smells. They are often the first signs that show your unit isn’t working properly and needs to be checked out as soon as possible by an expert contractor.
Some common smells and noises that indicate malfunctions in your heating system are:
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Burning smell;
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Musty odor;
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Popping, banging, or knocking sound;
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Clunking noise;
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Shrill whining or screeching.
For example, a burning smell usually occurs when you turn on the furnace, which is dust burning off. If this smell doesn’t go away within an hour, then you are looking at a more serious issue.
Keep the area around the furnace clear
Probably one of the most important rules you need to remember when you have a furnace installed in your home is to always keep the area around it clear. This is especially important if your unit is installed in the basement where there could be a lot of items lying around that need to be removed further away to improve the airflow and avoid potential hazards.
Additionally, it is imperative that you clean the space often to reduce the amount of dust and dirt buildup in the filter and overall system. Otherwise, the buildup can interfere with your unit’s performance and increase your bills.
Final thoughts
If you are looking for the best way to keep your home warm and comfortable during the colder months of the year, then the furnace is your best option. However, in order to reap all the benefits this heating system offers, you need to maintain it regularly and ensure it is working up to its potential.
If you need help with this, follow the tips from our post and improve the performance of your furnace.
