Since you know how hard your furnace works to keep you cozy all winter, it’s no surprise that it won’t last forever. But you certainly don’t want furnace failure and the need for replacement to come as a sudden surprise. It can help to have a general idea of how long a furnace’s life can be. And while you definitely want to prolong that life and postpone replacing the furnace, you also don’t want to keep using a furnace that is a safety hazard, or one that has become so inefficient that it is costing you a lot more than it used to in energy usage.
How long can you expect your furnace to live, and how can you get the most out of it while avoiding excessive utility bills or safety risks? Here are some pointers.
Isn’t it great to know that whenever you need warmth and comfort in your home during the winter, all you need to do is adjust the thermostat and your furnace just switches on and starts sending heated air through the ductwork into the various rooms of your home?
If you’re utilizing a furnace for your home comfort in the winter, then you know just how nice it can be when the system kicks on and provides you with all the heat you and your family need. But if something goes amiss with your heater, it can be panic-inducing. Sure, we don’t have to worry about temperatures that get too arctic in our climate, but compared to our summers, our winters get pretty darn cold!
Living in Georgia, we’re known a lot more for our hot and humid summers than we are for our chilly winters, but that doesn’t mean the colder months don’t pack quite the punch! That said, it stands to reason that you really want your heater to work as effectively and efficiently as possible while keeping your family comfortable. This means that you’ll want to schedule routine professional heating maintenance each year. We typically recommend this service in the fall, before the cooler temps arise, but this is definitely a case of “better late than never,” even if you’re reading it right smack in the middle of winter.
Think about last winter.
There’s a pretty common misconception when it comes to the air filter inside an HVAC system. Many homeowners assume that this air filter is in place to protect their indoor air quality. While these air filters certainly don’t hurt your indoor air quality, their purpose is actually to protect the interior components of your HVAC system itself from dust, dirt, and other debris that can get inside and harm its sensitive components. The air filter, then, needs to be changed on a regular basis–more on this below!