A great man once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” These famous words from Ben Franklin can apply to many facets of life, including the heating system in your home. While heating systems in Ben Franklin’s era were composed of wood burning stoves and fireplaces requiring little maintenance, today’s improved furnaces and building controls need a large amount of preventative maintenance in order to remain in proper working order.
One way to increase the functionality and life of your furnace is to maintain a regular schedule of filter maintenance or replacement. A dirty or clogged filter can decrease airflow from the furnace into your home’s purification system and force the furnace to work harder, putting more pressure on it and taking months, if not years, away from its useful life. If your furnace uses disposable filters, look at them monthly and replacement them when required. Pay attention to the change of seasons because extra pollutants in the air like pollens, cottonwood, and ragweed can be present. Debris like this can often nestle into filters and lead to unhealthy indoor environments.
Also consider performing a simple visual inspection of working components inside your furnace by taking out the access cover and checking, with proper light, for loose fan belts, electrical wires, frayed electrical wires, or a build-up of dirt and dust. Quick remedies include repairing wiring, tightening or replacing belts, and vacuuming out dust particles with a hose attachment. All of these methods will prevent future failures and ensure your furnace works better for longer.
Also consider a looking over your home’s ventilation system, and be attentive to any cracks in duct seams or holes in flex ductwork. Utilize sealing cement or duct tape to fix these problems and allow for increased, unrestricted air flow. Remember, all of these tasks will enable your furnace to work more efficiently and correct premature failures.
Perhaps the optimal advice for avoiding heating system failures is to have a regular maintenance schedule with a local certified heating contractor. Most contractors can set you up with yearly furnace and ventilation system check ups. Having a service agreement typically gives you priority for emergency repairs and lowered prices on parts and services. In addition to that, planned maintenance is also preventative maintenance, which is something that will earn you peace of mind for years to come.
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