Proudly Serving West Michigan & Southwest Michigan
Natural gas furnaces are a top choice for heating in Grand Rapids, MI. Capable of producing heat at temperatures as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit, they’re perfect for the region’s long, frigid winters. If properly maintained, your furnace can create a cozy, comfortable environment in minutes and without using an abundance of energy. Check out the eight tips that follow to keep your furnace working efficiently.
1. Schedule Annual Furnace Maintenance
All heaters require annual maintenance. Scheduling professional tune-up service each year will keep you compliant with your furnace manufacturer’s warranty and minimize the risk of safety issues. With fuel-combusting appliances, these checkups prevent carbon monoxide (CO) leaks, natural gas leaks, overheating, and other hazards. They also optimize airflow and overall performance.
During annual furnace tune-up service calls, we, we do the following.
- Test and calibrate thermostats
- Measure airflow
- Clean furnaces inside and out
- Change furnace filters
- Replace worn or damaged components
Although homeowners in Grand Rapids can handle several basic maintenance tasks on their own, opening the housing of your furnace and tampering with its moving parts could void your warranty and cause mechanical problems. To avoid losing your warranty protections, extend the lifespan of your furnace, and keep your carbon footprint to a minimum, schedule a furnace tune-up before winter arrives.
2. Regularly Change Your HVAC Air Filter
All of the air that enters your furnace passes through the air filter. Although simple and relatively low in cost, your air filter has a major impact on how well your furnace performs and how much energy it uses. If it has a heavy coating of built-up debris, your furnace will have to work harder to move air.
Most HVAC equipment manufacturers recommend changing furnace filters every 30 to 90 days. However, you should inspect this component once each month. You can do this by removing it and holding it up to the light. If light can still pass through accumulated debris, air can move through it as well.
To avoid running out of air filters mid-season, always keep several filters on hand. This way, if local store shelves run empty, you’ll have what you need. If you can’t find the correct filter size in-store, give us a call.
3. Seal and Insulate Your HVAC Air Ducts
Studies performed by the University of Florida found that HVAC air ducts are often responsible for the loss of up to 40% of a furnace’s heating energy. An easy way to minimize these losses is by having your HVAC air ducts cleaned, sealed, and insulated. Not only do duct sealing and insulating services increase the efficiency of all connected HVAC appliances, but they also improve indoor air quality (IAQ). With fewer gaps, cracks, and other air leaks, HVAC air ducts in dusty, low-lying areas are unlikely to take particulate matter and other contaminants in.
4. Keep Your HVAC Air Vents Open
One of the most common misconceptions about standard, central HVAC systems is that residents can prevent the unwanted delivery of heated or cooled air by closing off air vents. Although closing an air vent will divert conditioned air, vent closures have an unfortunate impact on heating and cooling systems.
When you close an air vent to customize air delivery, the diverted air fills your ducting. This causes a significant rise in static pressure within HVAC air ducts and inhibits overall airflow. Having one or more closed vents throughout your home can result in overheating, high humidity, short cycling, and more. Closing air vents places undue stress on heaters and could lead to breakdowns and shorter lifespans as well.
When performing monthly filter inspections, check the air vents throughout your home, too. Open all closed or partially closed vents and remind residents to keep them open.
Consider Zoning for Customized Climate Control
If you often find closed vents throughout your home, consider having your HVAC system zoned. Zoning divides the interior of buildings into several separate service areas. Each service area gets its own thermostat. HVAC technicians install duct dampers, zone control systems, and other technologies to coordinate the customized delivery of heated and cooled air. With zoning, you can maintain different temperatures in select areas of the building for increased efficiency and to better accommodate differing preferences and needs.
If you live in a two-story home and have the majority of your bedrooms upstairs, zoning is a great way to reduce your energy use. When everyone retires at night, you can lower temperatures in downstairs zones and have your furnace route heated air to occupied rooms only.
5. Install a Smart or Programmable Thermostat
With smart and programmable thermostats, homeowners can schedule multiple temperature changes throughout the day that match their schedules. For instance, you can lower your temperature just before going to bed or leaving for work and raise it just ahead of your return or right before you wake up. Pre-set temperature changes eliminate the potential for oversight and error. Best of all, the most advanced of these devices also provide the following features.
- HVAC performance and IAQ alerts
- Energy consumption tracking and reporting
- Filter change reminders
- Service reminders
According to ENERGY STAR, a smart or programmable thermostat can reduce your HVAC-related energy use by up to 8% on its own.
6. Schedule Timely Furnace Repairs
Don’t ignore the signs of developing furnace problems. Schedule furnace repair service whenever you detect unpleasant odors during operation, hear loud whistling, clanging, or shrieking sounds, or notice a sudden increase in your home energy bill. When homeowners schedule timely repairs, we can identify and resolve minor issues before they spiral out of control. In many instances, scheduling timely repairs lowers total repair costs and protects the lifespans of heaters.
7. Create and Maintain a Tight Home Envelope
It makes no sense to have a highly efficient furnace and a home that leaches much of your heated air outdoors. Take steps to tighten your home envelope before the winter season arrives. Here is what you can do.
- Installing weatherstripping around windows and doors
- Sealing up air leaks in building materials
- Adding more insulation
- Choosing insulation with a high R-value
Pay careful attention to all areas where wiring, plumbing, and other essential infrastructure penetrate walls.
8. Have Your HVAC Air Ducts Cleaned
Dirty air ducts can have the same impact on HVAC performance and IAQ as dirty air filters. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), homeowners can schedule duct cleaning on an as-needed basis. The following are some circumstances that may necessitate scheduling such a service.
- Following pest infestation
- After indoor fires
- As part of mold remediation and restoration
- To eliminate unpleasant HVAC odors
For best results, the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) suggests scheduling duct cleaning every three to five years.
Call the Pros for Help
We’ve proudly served Grand Rapids and the surrounding cities for more than 40 years. We offer expert heating and cooling services, HVAC air duct cleaning, new thermostats, and cutting-edge IAQ improvements. To schedule furnace maintenance or sign up for our preventative maintenance plan, contact Service Professor today.
