Tips for Properly Maintaining Your Furnace

Maximize Your Furnace, Minimize Your Heating Bills

During the winter season, you likely don’t give your furnace much thought as long as it’s working. To keep from experiencing an unnecessary breakdown or excessively high heating bills, gain some maintenance insight from an HVAC contractor in Santa Rosa and Marin County. Next Level HVAC is here with several maintenance tips to keep your furnace up and running for as long as possible, allowing you and your family to stay warm during the next cold snap.

Calibrate Your Thermostat at Least Once a Year

You may not realize it, but something as simple as a poorly calibrated thermostat can bump up your heating bills. What happens is that dirt can get inside the thermostat, or someone could accidentally bump the thermostat, throwing off the calibration and setting. It’s best to have your thermostat inspected by a certified HVAC contractor at least once a year.

Invest in a Programmable Thermostat

Another adjustment you can make to your thermostat is to invest in a programmable one. The glory of modern thermostats is you can program them to your comfort level without even touching them. For instance, you can program your thermostat to bump the temperature down between seven and 10 degrees when you’re at work, which is great if you often forget to lower the temperature before you leave the house. While you’re driving home, you can program the thermostat to raise the temperature so the house is nice and cozy when you get back. Programmable thermostats are a great way to save money without sacrificing on overall comfort.

Invest in a New Furnace

Do you find your current furnace breaks down more than it actually works? If so, you’re likely better off spending your money on a new furnace rather than repairs. Modern furnaces are made to be more energy efficient than older models. Also, a newly installed furnace can have some great features, such as an air pressure switch that prevents hazardous gas buildup, and a variable-speed motor that makes it so you and your family aren’t over or under heated. ​

Take Proper Care of Your Burners

Your furnace’s burners play a big part in its overall efficiency. Rusted, corroded and dirty burners compromise overall efficiency. It’s good for you to get into the habit of occasionally visually inspecting your burners to see if they’re in good shape, calling an HVAC technician if you suspect something may be amiss.

Use Ceiling Fans to Supplement Your Furnace

Rather than shut your ceiling fans off in the colder months of the year, keep them going. What you want to do is reverse the direction of your fans in the winter so they spin clockwise. The fans push rising warm air down near floor level. Besides overall comfort, this tip is great for easing some of the stress of your furnace working to heat up a room from top to bottom.
 
For more furnace maintenance tips, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at Next Level HVAC. Fill out a contact form, like us on Facebook, find us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our blog.