Prolonging the Lifespan of Your Gas Furnace
The average life of a modern gas furnace is between 16 and 20 years. However, you can extend its life even more by making a few simple adjustments. Preventative maintenance today could greatly extend the life of your furnace tomorrow. These tips can also help you to improve your energy consumption and save on maintenance work.
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1. Be Safe, Not Sorry
Always turn the power off on your natural gas furnace before you do anything, this includes changing the filter. Simply trip the circuit that runs your furnace. This simple safety precaution can save lives. If you smell gas, never attempt to do anything to your furnace, instead, stop what you’re doing immediately, call the fire department and a HVAC professional, and vacate your home at once until proper repairs have been made. Don’t risk standing around waiting, get everyone and pets out of the house now, you don’t want to risk a fire or other damages.
2. Replace Air Filters
Replace the air filter at least every 2 months (many systems say annually but experts recommend more frequently for best results). The dust and lint in your home will clog the filter and prevent your gas furnace from running at its optimal function, you don’t want to be breathing this debris and dirt back into your lungs and you don’t want your family to either, it can cause health issues. Your furnace filter is located near the blower door between the blower and the air duct. Simply remove it and replace it with a new one. Always pay attention to how it’s installed before you remove it so that you can easily replace it with a new one.furnace service
3. Clean Your Gas Furnace
Your furnace filter captures a lot of dirt and debris in and around your home. You’ll need to periodically take the blower assembly out and ensure that they’re running properly. Remove the panel and gently wipe these with a damp cloth.
4. Have Your Gas Furnace Inspected
Many people don’t consider gas furnace inspections important. They simply install and figure that’s enough. However, statistics show that if you have your furnace inspected at least annually you can save a lot of time and money on both repairs and failures. There’s nothing worse than three feet of snow on the ground and a broken down furnace. Get yours inspected annually and avoid having to worry about it.
As with all major appliances, ensure that you’re doing the proper maintenance techniques and doing them often enough to keep them running at their optimum level. Set up a routine to ensure that things are wiped down and that filters are kept clean so that you can breathe better and so that it will run properly. A few moments of prevention will go far in helping you to ensure that your furnace will provide you with plenty of heat for years to come.
