Although your furnace might appear to be working, the question is, how well?
It’s not uncommon for a furnace to be in good condition, but still not reach optimum performance. In fact, issues such as poor insulation or old doors and windows can keep even a brand-new furnace from working efficiently. If you would like to keep your furnace working better, here are some easy tips to keep your home toasty warm this winter.
How Long Should a Furnace Last?
First, it helps to know the age of your furnace. According to the experts at This Old House, a furnace should last about 15 to 20 years. If your furnace is over 15 years old, it’s reaching the end of its expected life span.
Although a well-maintained furnace could last beyond its years, you should pay attention to the factors that will age your furnace, as well as signs it has seen better days.
Signs Your Furnace is Aging
An obvious sign your furnace is aging is frequent breakdowns. If you find you’re calling in a repair team every fall, ask them if it makes more sense to replace your furnace instead of investing in constant repairs.
Some less obvious signs your furnace is aging include:
- Rising energy bills as your furnace becomes less efficient at heating your home.
- Uneven heating where you find some rooms or areas of your home tends to be colder than others.
- Frequent cycling where you can hear your furnace turning on and off often as it tries to maintain the set temperature.
- Issues with air quality such as noticeable humidity or more dust in your home.
If you are noticing any of these signs, you can speak to our heating experts. We can assess your furnace to determine if it is time for a new heating system.
Tips to Improve Your Furnace’s Efficiency
Although your goal is to help your furnace work better, a lot of the steps you should take don’t directly involve the furnace itself. Instead, you want to ensure your home is properly insulated to reduce wasted energy.
To improve your home’s heating efficiency, you can try the following:
Improve insulation: Your home has insulation in the walls, ceiling, and attic to prevent heat (and cool air) from escaping. Making sure your attic is properly insulated can help keep heat inside your home.
Caulk door and window frames: Check your door and window frames and make sure there aren’t any cracks. You can also hold up your hand to see if you feel cool air or air movement around windows and doors.
Add new weather-stripping: You can use weather-stripping as an added seal where doors and windows have moving parts. This provides a tighter seal when your doors and windows are closed.
Change furnace filters: Your furnace filters should be changed at least every one to three months. You can put a reminder in your phone, so you don’t forget!
Annual maintenance: Annual maintenance will help keep your furnace operating efficiently. Every fall you should call your local heating and cooling experts to arrange a furnace tune-up.
Our Team Can Help Your Furnace Work Better
These tips will help your furnace work better in your home. If you’d like more information about heating efficiency for your home, speak to our team.
