Own A Furnace? 3 Mistakes to Avoid to Keep It From Working Too Hard

A furnace works hard throughout the cold winter months to provide you with warmth. Because of this, you need to be careful that you do not do things that would cause your furnace to work even harder. Below are three mistakes to avoid to prevent problems from happening with your furnace.

Providing No Maintenance

Not providing your furnace with maintenance is the worse thing you can do for it. If there are even small problems, the furnace will have to work harder to provide your home with heat. There are some problems that could cause a gas leak, which would be dangerous to you and your family.

The furnace contractor will do a full visual examination of your furnace to ensure all parts are working properly. They will check all the components to see if any of them are showing any signs of wear.

The contractor will also lubricate all operating parts so there is no friction between them. The gas pressure will be checked to ensure the pressure is set correctly. The contractor will check the filter and replace it if needed.

Leaving Thermostat High All Day

When you leave your home, turn your thermostat down. This way your furnace will not run all day heating a home with no one in it. This also cuts down on your energy costs.

To help with this, purchase a programmable thermostat. This will allow you to preset temperatures for certain times of the day. You could also turn the thermostat down at night. This is beneficial as many people sleep better when the bedroom is cooler.

What you cut the temperature down to depends on what your normal temperature is. For example, if you have your furnace set to 73 as a normal temperature, cut it down to the middle 60s when you are not home and/or asleep. This way the furnace will not turn on.

Not Repairing Air Leaks

If you have any type of air leaks in your home, then warm air is getting out and cold air is coming in. This will cause your furnace to run overtime.

Check around all windows to ensure the weather stripping is intact and in good condition. If not, remove the weather stripping and replace it. Drafts could also come from windows that do not shut all the way.

Other places to check for drafts include fireplaces, attics, doors, and electrical outlets.

Your furnace contractor can give you more info to keep your furnace running properly.