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4 Tips For Homeowner Furnace Maintenance This Season

Professional maintenance is important, but the care steps you take for your furnace are even more crucial. You can do things every single month that will help extend the lifespan of your furnace and also boost its overall energy efficiency. Without care steps of your own, professional maintenance will mean very little just once per year.

You can keep reading to learn our top four tips for taking care of your furnace in between professional maintenance appointments. Then give us a call when you’re ready to schedule your heating maintenance in Federal Way, WA. If you haven’t already scheduled heating maintenance in the past year, now is a great time to get it on the calendar.

 

Take Care of the Air Filter

Your first step is to choose a filter that best fits your indoor air quality expectations. Filters are assigned a MERV efficiency rating that tells you what types of particles they capture from the air. We usually recommend a MERV rating between eight and 13 for residential systems.

Anything weaker will not improve your indoor air quality enough, and anything stronger may block airflow leading into your system. It’s also important to change the filter out on time. Otherwise, a clogged filter could allow dust and dirt to get through and into your heater.

 

Use Wise Thermostat Settings

You also want to be cognizant of the thermostat settings you are selecting. It’s very easy to think that adjusting the temperature up a degree or two won’t make a huge difference in your energy costs. However, each degree higher than 68° that you set your thermostat is costing you.

It’s increasing your energy costs, as well as adding strain to your heater as it works harder to meet higher heating expectations. This can make it more likely that you’ll need to invest in repairs and shorten the lifespan of your system.

Clean the Cabinet

It’s also a good idea to turn your heater off completely once each month so you can wipe down the inside cabinet and eliminate any buildup. Just be sure that you allow the heater to cool down completely so you don’t risk getting burned in your attempt to wipe down the cabinet.

Pay close attention around the pilot light or electric burners, because this is where grimy buildup can have the greatest impact on heating. Our team can complete a more detailed cleaning each year when we visit your home for heater maintenance.

Pay Attention to Signs of Problems

It’s also good to have a general idea of what is normal for your heater. If you can gauge what an average heating cycle is, you’ll be able to identify if the cycle suddenly becomes significantly longer or shorter. You can also pay attention to how effectively your heater is warming up your home.

If you suddenly find yourself trying to set the thermostat higher because the current settings aren’t meeting your heating needs, think before you make any adjustments. This could be a sign that your heater is not working as effectively as it has been thanks to a repair need.

Instead of adjusting your thermostat, you may need to schedule an appointment for heating service so that our team can get down to the root of the problem. Continually adjusting your thermostat temperature up will cost you energy bills while allowing the problem to worsen.