If you live in the Lincoln, NE, or Omaha area, you rely on your furnace heavily throughout the winter months. The temperature outside can get chilly in the winter, and we spend a great deal of time indoors trying to stay warm. Unfortunately, things can go wrong with your furnace. This can be because of normal wear and tear, or even equipment malfunctions. It’s not possible to prevent furnace issues entirely, but there are steps you can take to minimize the risk. Let’s look at the importance of furnace maintenance this winter.
Boosting Furnace Efficiency
In order to heat your home without breaking the bank, it’s important that you take appropriate steps to boost the efficiency of your furnace. As a system ages, it will inevitably become less efficient. However, routine maintenance can address minor problems that can speed up this process. This includes things like cleaning the interior components of your furnace so that it doesn’t become strained or overworked. Lubricating moving parts and tightening loose connections are also important tasks that we perform as part of routine maintenance.
As a homeowner, you should periodically change the filter that’s in your furnace. This should be done approximately once every 30 to 90 days. Filter change frequency depends on the type of filter you have and how often you’re running your furnace. If you’re unsure if it’s time to change your filter, inspect it for an accumulation of debris. When you hold the filter up to the light, you won’t be able to see any light pass through it if it’s due to be changed. If your filter appears dented, torn, or damaged in any way, change it out.
Preventing Future Problems from Occurring
When you schedule routine maintenance on an annual basis, you can often prevent future problems from occurring. This can eliminate your furnace shutting down in the middle of a storm or cold spell. A minor repair during routine maintenance is usually far more affordable and simpler than waiting for something major to go wrong that can take days to repair. In some cases, a problem can become so severe that permanent damage occurs to your furnace. The only option may be to replace your unit entirely. This is an expensive situation that should be avoided as long as possible.
Lengthening Equipment Lifespan
Routine maintenance allows our team to repair issues that can lead to very extensive problems if ignored. Most homeowners won’t know that anything is wrong since many issues don’t present themselves with odd sounds, smells, or malfunctions until the problem is very severe. Over time, frequent problems can decrease the overall life expectancy of your furnace. When you take care of your furnace, it should last you approximately 20 years or more. A poorly maintained furnace will experience a shortened life span that is riddled with repair needs. These costs add up quickly over time.
Routine maintenance also gives us the opportunity to determine how much life may be left in your furnace. Homeowners tend to appreciate some time to budget and plan for new furnace installation. We will let you know when the cost of your equipment repairs becomes too excessive. Investing in a new furnace that is ultra-efficient may be the better option.
Boosting Indoor Air Quality
Your furnace plays a big part in the overall quality of your indoor air. Indoor air quality, or IAQ for short, affects your health and well-being. Many homes experience poor indoor air quality, especially in the winter months when windows and doors are closed. Common contaminants include things like dust, dust mites, mold spores, volatile organic compounds, and pet dander. When air runs through your HVAC system, your furnace filter will trap some of these particulates. The type of filter you have and how clean it is will determine how much particulate matter can pass through into your ducts and your living spaces.
You can improve your indoor air quality by scheduling routine furnace maintenance. By allowing us to clean the interior components of your system and inspect for any problems, you can rest assured that your furnace is working as intended. This keeps your home comfortable but also healthy from an indoor air quality perspective.
Ensuring Home Safety with Maintenance
When a furnace malfunctions, there is the potential risk of a fire in the home or even electrocution. Most of these occurrences take place from an electrical standpoint. Our routine maintenance includes thoroughly inspecting all the electrical connections in your furnace to ensure that there are no frayed wires, damage, etc. This can help ensure the safety of you and your family throughout the year.
If you notice any signs of smoke or the smell of something burning when you are running your furnace, make sure you immediately turn the power off to your HVAC system. Call our team for assistance. We will diagnose the problem and determine what kind of repairs need to be made so that you can go back to safely using your HVAC system again.
Maintaining Warranty Coverage
Your furnace usually comes with some type of warranty coverage from the manufacturer. Many manufacturers make it a requirement that you have your furnace routinely inspected and serviced by a professional to maintain this coverage. We encourage you to hang on to any documentation that we provide you with during these appointments. This serves as proof of service if you ever need to utilize your manufacturer’s warranty to cover parts or repairs.
Make sure you know how frequently the manufacturer requests that you have professional service performed. In most cases, once per year will suffice.
Homeowner Maintenance Tasks
As the homeowner, there are several things you can do to maintain your furnace this winter. Make sure you’re keeping up with routine filter changes. Also, periodically clean your vents and registers if they look dusty. Inspect the exterior of your furnace for any signs of damage, corrosion, or condensation. Make sure there is plenty of clearance around your unit.
Always test your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors as part of your routine HVAC maintenance. If you experience HVAC problems like a cracked heat exchanger, this can lead to a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide in the home.
If you are interested in finding out more about the importance of furnace maintenance or would like to schedule an appointment with someone from our team, reach out to us here at John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical. We have been serving the Lincoln and Omaha areas for more than 28 years. In addition to routine maintenance, we also install and repair different types of heating and cooling equipment. Our plumbing services include new pipe installation, removing clogs, drain repair, remodels, sump pump assistance, and more. We also offer electrical services such as inspections, the installation of electrical panels, generator installation, and surge protection.
Contact John Henry's Plumbing, Heating, Air, and Electrical to learn more or to schedule an appointment for heating services.
