As a homeowner, you likely know that a new furnace can be a large investment. While the average furnace is estimated to last about 15 to 20 years, that doesn’t mean that yours can’t last even longer. In fact, with the right care practices, your furnace can last even longer than the manufacturer’s anticipated life expectancy.
Get Yearly Maintenance
One of the most significant contributors to a furnace’s lifespan is how often it’s serviced. To ensure that all the components of your furnace stay in good working order, you’ll want to get your furnace serviced by a licensed professional. Technicians will take care of lubricating moving parts, tightening down electrical components, and removing unwanted dirt and debris from inside of your unit.
Frequent Filter Changes
The quickest way to shorten the lifespan of your furnace is to not perform frequent air filter changes. This causes your furnace to constantly overwork to deliver warm air throughout your home. To avoid doing this, you’ll want to check your air filter every month to see if it needs to be replaced.
Don’t be one of those homeowners who stands by the recommendation that your air filter only needs to be changed every three months. Everyone’s home is different from the next. If you have lots of pets or constant traffic in and out of your home, your filter is going to naturally need to be changed more often than the next person’s.
Keep on Top of Repairs
Over the life of your furnace, it’s likely that you’ll experience a malfunction or two. Some of the most common include weird noises, unusual smells, inadequate warm air, and so forth. As soon as you notice that there’s a problem with your system, it’s time to call for professional repair service. You never want to let a problem go as it could end up creating more damage to other components of your furnace.
Use a Smart Thermostat
Your thermostat is the main brain behind your furnace. It tells your furnace when to turn on and off. A long-lasting furnace is one that has been working efficiently throughout most of its life. When you implement the use of a smart thermostat in your home, you can ensure that your furnace is running in an efficient manner.
Get Your Ducting Cleaned Regularly
Experts recommend that you get your ductwork professionally cleaned every two to five years. This cleaning helps to remove any buildup inside of your ducting, like dirt and grime. By removing the presence of this buildup, fewer airborne particles will reach the internal components of your furnace. The cleaner your furnace stays, the longer its lifespan is going to be.
Appropriately Insulate Your Home
Another big contributor to shortening the lifespan of your furnace is not adequately insulating your home. When cold air readily seeps into your home, your furnace has to run for longer to keep your home comfortably warm. You can nip this problem in the bud by checking your insulation levels.
If your attic insulation is not up to the appropriate R-value for your area, consider upgrading to create a thicker barrier from the cold. Any open-air drafts that you can feel around your windows and doors should be covered to prevent cold air from freely entering your home.
Avoid Drastic Temperature Settings
It can be tempting to run over to your thermostat and crank up the heat after being outside for a while. This will cause your furnace to work harder to reach a higher indoor temperature. Most furnaces are not meant to be set any higher than 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
You should opt to keep your thermostat at relatively the same temperature and look for other methods to get warm. For example, consider taking a hot shower, putting on a sweater, or cuddling under a blanket to warm back up.
Get Your Ductwork Sealed
The heat that goes through your ducting can cause the natural expansion and contraction of the metal. This can result in joints being unintentionally pulled apart. Getting your ductwork sealed by a professional will help to close up these unwanted gaps in your ducting. When your ducting is properly sealed, you won’t lose any of the heat your furnace produces on the way to the various vents throughout your home.
Trustworthy Furnace Services
IBBOTSON Heating & Air Conditioning Co. offers trustworthy furnace services for the Arlington Heights, IL, area. We also provide quality indoor air, water heater, humidifier, and cooling services. Contact us today to schedule your next service appointment with one of our experienced technicians.
