With the start of fall upon us, homeowners across the Lansing and Grand Rapids areas are getting their heating systems ready for the cooler temperatures ahead. As heating season is right around the corner, this is the perfect time of year to make sure your furnace or heat pump is well maintained and ready to heat your home efficiently over the next few months. A-1 Mechanical shares some important furnace maintenance tips that will help your heating system use less energy and keep your family warm and toasty this year!
1. Schedule a Professional Maintenance Tune Up
Furnaces and heat pumps require regular maintenance tune ups each year to help ensure reliable, energy-efficient performance throughout heating season. A tune up performed by a licensed HVAC system technician delivers the important care each part of the system needs to work at peak levels, prevent repair issues, and help lower your heating costs.
It’s best to have this service performed in the fall before it’s time to fire up your furnace on the first cold day of the year. Even if you do not get your professional tune up completed by the time you need to start using the heating system, do not skip this essential service. A professional tune up is beneficial for your system even after the start of heating season. During your tune up, your heating and air conditioning technician can also provide you with helpful annual maintenance tips to further improve heating system performance throughout the season.
2. Stay on Top of Filter Maintenance
One of the most important furnace maintenance tips that will reduce energy consumption is regular filter maintenance. When running with a dirty filter, your furnace will use more energy to move heat through the system and into your home. The dirty furnace filter can also cause overheating in the furnace which may shut the system down for periods of time and even damage sensitive components.
Avoid dirty filter issues by staying on top of your system’s filter needs. How often a new filter is needed depends on several factors such as filter quality and the air quality inside your home. You can check the filter manufacturer’s information to determine how frequently a change is recommended, but beware factors specific to your home may warrant more frequent changes. Our furnace maintenance tips suggest visually inspecting your filter once per month and changing it as you find the filter’s surface is filled with contaminants. During the winter season, filters may need to be replaced more often due to heavier system use.
3. Seal Air Ducts and Air Leaks
Leaks in ductwork and elsewhere throughout your house can cause a great deal of heat loss. Your furnace is forced to work extra to make up for this loss, using more energy than it would if the home was better equipped to retain heat. Air sealing is one of the most beneficial furnace maintenance tips for energy savings.
- Have ducts inspected and sealed by a professional to eliminate air losses of up to 30 percent!
- Apply weatherstripping to doors and windows.
- Use caulk and other tools to seal points of heat loss throughout the house.
Furnace Maintenance Tips and Service for Lansing Homeowners
When you pair the furnace maintenance tips above with a preventive maintenance tune up for your heating system, you can be sure that your HVAC equipment is ready to deliver the heat you need this year! Call A-1 Mechanical today to schedule your yearly furnace maintenance tune up if you haven’t already done so!
