We’ve said it before, and we will say it again… Alberta winter is tough, especially for your home furnace. During the winter months, your home’s furnace is one of the most important components to keeping your family safe and warm. A properly maintained furnace system will deliver maximum heat output throughout the home without wasting energy or risking harmful emissions that can impact your family. On the other hand, if you decide to defer maintenance for too long your furnace could become very costly to run, harmful to your home’s indoor air quality, or even break down when you need it most (those -40 degree nights are not meant to be spent without heat). And if a visiting technician determines that your furnace system failed due to the lack of routine home furnace maintenance, then you could be stuck with the full repair bill… during one of the most expensive times of the year; Christmas.
To ensure that your home furnace operates optimally when it’s winter, the Ignite team has gathered the following furnace maintenance tips to prepare your furnace for winter.
- Start Your Maintenance Early
The coldest winter nights always seem to present the perfect opportunity for a spontaneous furnace failure in your home. Although the team at Ignite does offer a 24 hour emergency service, prevent this situation with a proactive approach by conducting your furnace maintenance every year while the weather is still mild. Getting the jump on your annual maintenance will give you plenty of lead time if you discover the need for repairs or replacements.
- Furnace Filter Maintenance
Changing your filter is the most important thing to do to ensure your furnace performance is up to par for the winter, saving you up to 5-15 percent on your energy bill (which is a lot, especially in the winter). One of the biggest culprits that th Ignite team has found behind equipment issues are dirty filters which can:
- Restrict airflow in your home, which puts additional strain on the fan motor that gradually can make your motor burn out, your furnace system overheat, or your equipment fail.
- Force your fan motor to overwork which uses more energy in your home, which significantly raises your utility bill.
- Drastically reduces your indoor air quality which can aggravate allergies, asthma and other illnesses.
Your furnace’s filter was likely replaced when it was last inspected by a professional, but many homeowners do not know that it should be replaced every one to three months, unless otherwise instructed by the manufacturer of the furnace.
- Inspect the Thermostat Wires
Once the power has been shut off and the furnace doors removed, begin your furnace maintenance by giving the furnace wires a slight pull to ensure they are tight and properly fitted. We do recommend having your technician do this for you; they are the pro’s!
Avoid unexpected furnace issues this winter and contact your local Ignite team to set up an appointment today!