Having a reliable furnace is essential if you want your Macungie, PA, home to be efficient and comfortable, especially when temperatures start dropping. If you’re looking for a way to ensure that your furnace lasts two or three decades, you’ll want to take the following steps.
Schedule Regular Furnace Maintenance
Before the cold winter temperatures of a Pennsylvania winter fully set in, it’s a good idea to have your furnace tuned up by a licensed HVAC professional. We generally recommend that our customers call us during the fall for a maintenance visit. Regular, professional maintenance allows our service technicians to make sure that all the moving parts of a furnace are in full working order and that any potential problems receive attention before they turn into something more significant.
Don’t Delay Repair Needs
If you notice banging or grinding noises coming from your furnace, your system is crying out for help. You know what your furnace sounds like when running correctly. Additionally, sulfuric smells, odors that smell like dirty socks, and other strange odors are indicative of trouble.
Similarly, if you notice that your furnace turns on and off more frequently, won’t turn off at all, or that your utility bills increase significantly, you probably need heating system repair. It’s easy to let small issues go unattended, but a quick response to a furnace problem can add years to your furnace’s lifespan. Our team of heating repair specialists can quickly diagnose the issue and restore adequate heating to your home.
Make Sure You Have Clean Filters
Furnace filters serve as an unsung hero of your home’s heating system. Not only do they help ensure that the air in your home is safe for you and your family to breathe, but they also maximize your heating system’s efficiency. As time passes, these filters become clogged with dirt, dust, and various other debris, reducing both efficiency and comfort.
When your furnace filters become clogged, it stands to reason that the system will work harder to try to push warm air into your home. This increase in workload generally means that parts start wearing out faster than they would in optimal situations. Something as simple as keeping a fresh, clean filter in your heating system can make a huge difference in the longevity of your system.
Maintaining Consistent Temperatures
Another way to ensure that the components of your system aren’t facing any undue stress is by keeping the furnace’s temperature setting on one consistent temperature for at least eight hours per day. As tempting as it can be to crank up the temperature on your thermostat during cooler parts of the day, doing so does lead to your heating system having to work harder. Obviously, your comfort is the most important aspect of any heating system, but resisting the temptation to constantly change temperature settings can pay off in the long run.
Upgrading Your Thermostat
Last but not least, one of the most effective ways to improve the lifespan of your furnace doesn’t involve doing anything to the furnace itself. Instead, upgrading to a smart thermostat or a programmable thermostat can reduce the amount of time that your furnace runs, while still ensuring that your home is as comfortable as you and your family need it to be.
If you’re still using an old, analog thermostat, your furnace could be straining to achieve that temperature setting, even when you’re not home. Installing a programmable or smart thermostat ensures that your home is comfortable while you’re there, but that your furnace can take a bit of a break when you’re not. Not only can you lower your utility bills, but you can also make your furnace last longer.
Our team of professional service technicians can handle all of your furnace maintenance, repair, or installation needs. Call us today at Sullivan Oil & Propane to learn more about all of our HVAC services.
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