As you strive to stay warm this winter in Goose Creek, SC, the efficiency of your furnace will become critically important. If you’re unlucky enough to have an inefficient furnace, you’ll end up overpaying for lackluster heating performance, and in the long run, throwing away quite a bit of money. Therefore, you should know about the following five factors that influence furnace efficiency:
Filters Impact Furnace Efficiency
Let’s begin our discussion with a factor over which you have total control: your furnace’s air filters. Over time, debris will gather on the meshes of these filters, and if this accumulation continues, it may prevent air from smoothly circulating through your furnace. If that happens, your system may lose the ability to effectively heat your home.
Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to prevent this problem from occurring. Don’t allow your furnace’s filters to become too dirty. We recommend replacing them approximately once every 90 days.
Your Furnace Maintenance History
Every furnace should receive a professional-grade maintenance check-up at least once per year. During a maintenance review, HVAC service technicians will tighten loose bolts, lubricate various parts, clean out valves, remove soot and dirt from critical areas and examine the system to see whether looming issues may threaten its performance in the future.
Without this kind of work, airflow through your furnace will diminish, and its parts will be more likely to unexpectedly fail. All of these things will adversely affect efficiency. For these reasons, it’s even wiser to supply your system with maintenance twice per year.
The Ductwork in Your Furnace
Ductwork leaks cause many homeowners to lose a significant portion of the warm air that their furnaces produce. If your HVAC ducts have been in service for a long time, holes or gaps may appear in them thanks to rust, loosening connections, animals and many other causes. As treated air escapes through these gaps, less of it will reach your home’s interior, thus decreasing your furnace’s efficiency.
The Insulation in Your Furnace
When cold outdoor air surrounds sections of your ducts, at least some heat will escape from their interiors through radiation. Keeping heat firmly inside your ductwork requires strong insulation, and the same principle also applies to the walls, floors and ceiling of your home. Hence, the better the insulation in your home, the less heat loss you’ll experience and the more efficient your furnace will operate.
As the years go by, insulation will erode, and you’ll need to replace it. Failure to do so will force your furnace to work harder than it would otherwise need to during the winter, which will shorten its lifespan and raise your heating bills.
How often you’ll need to replace your insulation will depend on the kind of material you prefer to use, but the relevant figures run the gamut from once every 15 years to once every 100 years. For example, fiberglass insulation typically lasts for about 15-20 years, and cellulose insulation generally remains serviceable for 20-30 years. Because of its resistance to water and various biological microorganisms, spray foam insulation may remain effective for as many as 80-100 years.
Your Furnace’s Thermostat
Finally, the ultimate reason for your furnace’s efficiency struggles may not directly lie with the furnace itself at all. Instead, your thermostat may be displaying improper temperature readings, delivering inappropriate commands or otherwise malfunctioning. It’s also possible that, without realizing it, you may have programmed the thermostat incorrectly.
Now that you know about some of the major factors that impact furnace efficiency, you can begin to take control of them for the better. With this knowledge, you can remain warm and comfortable in Goose Creek, SC, at little cost and without much difficulty. Call Berkeley Heating & Air Conditioning and ask for our high-quality heating repair services today.
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