When you’re aiming to introduce a little warmth to the home, you need to think about not just the decor and soft furnishings that can give it that cozy feeling, but you want to consider how you heat the home as well. If you have a furnace, then you will have no problem quickly introducing some heat to a cold room. However, furnaces do have a few weaknesses that are exclusive to them and not likely to be seen with other heating appliances. Here’s how to make sure that the old furnace in your home is doing just fine.
Ensuring good airflow
The efficiency of your furnace when it comes to burning fuel is going to be determined, in part, by how effectively air can circulate through it. As such, getting replacement filters and changing them out when necessary can help you both save money by making it more efficient and also help you keep the system living for longer.
Give it a clean
Given that a good clean airflow throughout the furnace is essential for its long life, then you can imagine that having dust and dirt all around the furnace isn’t going to be good for its operation. Trying to keep the area around it as dust-free as possible. As for the furnace itself, if you’re going to clean it, be very careful. You shouldn’t use more than a soft brush to loosen dirt before vacuuming it.
Keep an ear (and a nose) out
If you notice any changes at all regarding your furnace, be it a new noise or smell coming from it, you should try to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible. For instance, a burning smell from heater appliances can mean many things, but it might for instance mean that there has been damage to a component inside the furnace if it has a plastic smell. This could mean you’re due for a repair.
Check the drainage tubes
If you’re using a propane or gas furnace, then there is going to be some water given off as a result, that will run out of the drainage tube into a drip pan that you need to empty and clean now and then. However, you should check these drainage tubes now and then to make sure that there isn’t backed up water blocking them. A compressed air can is usually enough to knock it loose.
Don’t go it alone
Unless you’re a trained professional, you’re not likely to notice all the little symptoms of a deeper issue that could be affecting your furnace. For that reason, make sure that you get in touch with a heating and cooling engineer to come out and check it at least once a year. Annual servicing is essential if you want to make sure your furnace lasts as long as it can.
Like all appliances, furnaces can degrade with age and, without the right maintenance and repairs, can start to break down on you. Hopefully, however, the tips above help you keep it in good health for years to come.