When purchasing a furnace for your home in Glendale, AZ, your objective is for it to serve you well for a long time. Furnaces are expensive and extending their life expectancy is essential. A well-maintained furnace will last significantly longer than one that’s neglected. It will also operate more efficiently with lower utility bills. While some of the practices for extending the life expectancy of your furnace are DIY, you should also consult HVAC professionals. Here are some tips you can use to increase the lifespan of your heating equipment.

Upgrade Your Home Insulation

The less time your furnace has to run, the longer it will last. And the better your home is insulated, the easier it is to keep warm. That’s just good common sense.

To derive the maximum benefit from this simple fact, the house must be fully insulated. That means the walls, the basement, and the attic. The attic is the open area on top of your house meant to allow for fresh air, but when it isn’t properly insulated, heat streams through it and escapes. When you upgrade the insulation around the attic, you’ll have reduced the amount of heat your furnace is required to produce. Most of the heat will be retained, making your home warmer throughout winter.

Insulation around your house is the best thing you can do to maximize the amount of heat kept within. Insulation recommendations differ from region to region, and in Arizona, we have our unique requirements. Our team at Christian Brothers Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical deals with this topic. We’d be happy to schedule a consultation with you and give you a comprehensive report on your home’s insulation.

Keep Air Filters Clean

Your furnace’s first defense against contaminants, dirt, and debris is the filter. Since the filter is vital in ensuring your furnace continues to function properly, you should change it regularly. The usual recommendation is every 90 days, but you ought to check it once a month. In a home with pets or a greater than average amount of smoke or dust, the filter will need to be changed more often.

Although your professional HVAC technician will check the filter once or twice a year during routine maintenance, it’s your responsibility to ensure that it doesn’t become clogged in the interim. You should inspect it regularly and replace it as soon as you stop seeing any light through the accumulated dirt.

When your filter is dirty, it means that your utility bill goes up because the HVAC system uses a lot more energy to pump and circulate fresh air throughout your house. Eventually, the furnace gets damaged if you don’t replace the filter.

Keep Your Ductwork and Home Clean

Cleaning your home ensures that all the ducts remain clean and free of accumulated dirt buildup. This allows your furnace to run smoothly and function efficiently. You should also be conscientious of keeping the area around each duct clear of drapes, furniture, and storage items. Anything that blocks the airflow is a detriment to your furnace. Eventually, it will get overworked, reducing its lifespan. Furthermore, the area around the furnace itself should be totally clear for several feet in all directions. Remember that any dirt making its way into your ductwork inevitably gets blown back through your entire house, polluting the air.

Install a Smart Thermostat

The smart thermostat is the latest in technology. It makes it easy to use your smartphone to control and program the temperature in your home when you are away. Some of these devices can master the habits of your HVAC usage and make energy-saving adjustments to the system without prior programming. The temperature can then be automatically adjusted at night or when you’re away at work. This translates to significant savings on energy, reduces your monthly utility bill, and extends the useful life of your equipment.

Use Your Fan Settings Wisely

Most HVAC systems have two basic fan settings. The “Auto” option activates the fan only when the system begins actively heating or cooling the home. The “On” setting instructs the fan to run constantly, using more energy and increasing wear and tear on the equipment. The “On” setting strains certain components by making them work harder, thus reducing their life expectancy. For all your normal activities, “Auto” is the option to use. It should be noted that some furnace systems have double-speed fans that allow more energy efficiency when changing from one heating mode to another.

Schedule Furnace Repairs Promptly

Scheduling a repair as soon as you notice a defect is the best thing you can do to avoid substantial losses. Don’t simply limp along with heating equipment that is barely performing adequately. When your furnace behaves in this fashion, it is working harder than it should. That costs money in the short term in the form of higher energy bills, and it could be a catastrophic economic mistake in the long run. Neglecting an ongoing issue that only requires a simple fix sometimes escalates it into a major breakdown.

Don’t ignore minor concerns that could eventually cause huge losses or even necessitate replacing your system prematurely. Reach out to us at Christian Brothers Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical to fix the issue before it gets worse.

Schedule an Annual Furnace Tune-Up

The best way to extend the life of your furnace is by scheduling a tune-up every year. It should be performed by a professional HVAC technician. At Christian Brothers Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical, we offer excellent furnace maintenance and tune-up services.

The best time to schedule a furnace tune-up is during early fall to ensure your system will be in good condition when you need it. The maintenance includes a thorough inspection and cleaning of all moving parts before lubricating them.

In addition, the technician will check the condenser, heat exchanger, coolant level, and filter. Tasks like tightening electrical components are completed, and the equipment is calibrated to improve its performance. This thorough attention also allows the technician to spot minor issues and correct them before they turn into large problems. Routine maintenance helps you avoid expensive breakdowns, reduces your energy expenses, and improves the air quality in your home.

Use Alternative Heating and Cooling Methods

Giving your furnace a break once in a while could prolong its lifespan. You can use an alternative method of maintaining personal comfort such as wearing a warm sweater or throwing an extra blanket on the bed during winter. You can also set your thermostat to a lower temperature and add a smaller heater to your workspace to keep yourself warm and give your furnace a reprieve. On bright winter days, open the blinds and allow the sun to heat your home.

Don’t forget to change the rotation of your ceiling fans. In the winter, they should rotate clockwise. Unlike during the summer, this draws cold air away from you, pulls it toward the ceiling, and allows it to mingle with warmer air.

We’d be happy to discuss these and other tips with you at greater length. As our name implies, Christian Brothers Air Conditioning Plumbing Electrical offers a full spectrum of plumbing and electrical services. We can do anything from clearing your drains or improving your water quality to rewiring your house and installing new lighting. What’s more, we also perform professional heating and cooling installation, maintenance, and repairs you can count on. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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