5 Ways to Make Your Furnace in Madison, FL, Last Longer

Depending on whether the furnace in your Madison, FL, home runs on gas, electricity or oil, you can expect it to last 15 to 30 years with proper maintenance. Various factors — like an improperly sized furnace, one placed in the wrong location, how much ventilation it receives and even how well it was installed — can shorten its lifespan, though. Here are five things that you can do to make your furnace last as long as possible.

Change the Furnace Filter Regularly

Regularly changing the filter in your furnace — experts recommend doing this at least every 90 days — saves money by helping it operate more efficiently and prevents the need for many future repairs. A filter is an essential part of your furnace because it keeps the blower fan safe. If the filter clogs, trapping dust and debris and restricting airflow, the components of the furnace will wear out faster.

Schedule Professional Maintenance

You should schedule professional HVAC maintenance twice a year in the spring and fall. Regularly scheduled maintenance for your HVAC system can help prevent small issues from turning into big problems. This maintenance protects your furnace and helps improve your home’s indoor air quality.

Scheduled professional maintenance helps improve your furnace’s performance because HVAC service technicians can clean debris from the furnace’s components, increasing its lifespan. This type of maintenance can also help save money.

Regulate Your Home’s Humidity

Many homeowners forget they need to regulate the humidity in their home. A good range is between 30% and 50%.

Excess moisture can cause a furnace’s components to rust quickly or the heat exchanger to crack, endangering your household and resulting in the need for an expensive replacement. You can decrease the humidity in your home by:

• Replacing your old HVAC system.
• Using a room dehumidifier.
• Installing a bathroom exhaust vent.

While too low a level of indoor humidity is less likely in Madison, FL, dry air could become a concern in winter. If you want to raise the level of humidity indoors, try these tips:

• Putting houseplants in your home that release moisture into the air.
• Using a fine-mist spray bottle to maintain moisture in the air.
• Using a large pot to simmer water on the stove.

Limit the Use of Your Furnace

Only use your furnace when necessary. It’s a good idea to put your furnace on a timer to prevent excessive wear and tear and expensive utility bills. You may want to consider upgrading to a smart or programmable thermostat to help you maintain a specific temperature in your home.

Turn down the temperature on the thermostat when you aren’t home. When you are, set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature and avoid changing the setting overnight. Maintaining a fairly constant temperature in your home can help you save money without sacrificing comfort.

Improve the Energy Efficiency in Your Home

Enhanced energy efficiency in your home significantly reduces your utility bills and increases your property’s value. If your home has multiple leaks, you’re wasting energy, and your furnace will work overtime to compensate for the energy your home is losing. When your furnace starts working harder to make up for energy loss, its motor can experience extreme wear and tear.

If this wear and tear continues, the lifespan of the furnace can drastically decrease. An HVAC service technician can improve the energy efficiency in your home by sealing:

• Mail slots.
• Electrical outlets.
• Baseboards.
• Fire dampers.
• Window frames.

For help with furnace maintenance in Madison, FL, contact our HVAC experts at Waller Heating & Air Conditioning. We’re Trane Comfort Specialists with decades of experience, and we’re here to help you stay comfortable throughout the year while extending the lifespan of your furnace.

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