Wouldn’t it be lovely if your furnace just lasted forever? Unfortunately, there will come a time when it needs to be replaced. If you have a gas furnace, that will happen after about 15 years, and if you have an electric furnace, you can hope for about 20.
Keep in mind, though, that these estimates are based on furnaces which receive maintenance annually. Furnaces that don’t receive maintenance might last half as long.
If your furnace is getting on in age, the prospect of replacement may be looming large in your mind. But replacement is a big cost. Naturally you’d like to put it off for as long as you can. What can you do to keep your older furnace running for as long as possible? We’ve got three tips that can help a whole lot.
1: Reduce Your Use
The more your furnace runs, the more wear and tear it will accumulate. The less it runs each winter, the more winters it will likely be able to keep running. This has the added bonus of decreasing your utility bills in the meantime! So how can you use your furnace less?
- Program Your Thermostat: If your thermostat is programmable, make sure it is set to lower the temperature when your home will be empty during the workday, as well as when you’ll be snuggled up in bed. If your thermostat is not programmable, try to remember to adjust it manually to reduce your use.
- Winterize Your Home: Keep in the heat your furnace creates by sealing windows and doors tightly to block drafts. Use rope caulk or foam strips for windows, and a door-bottom weather blocker or a door snake.
- Maximize Your Heat: Set your ceiling fans to spin clockwise. This will stop the warmth from pooling up by the ceiling where you don’t really need it, and enable you to turn your thermostat down a few degrees by circulating the heat better.
2: Prioritize Maintenance
Maintenance is truly the best way to make sure your furnace has as long a lifespan as possible. It is most common for people to schedule furnace maintenance in the fall, just before the season when it will be working the hardest. But if you didn’t do it this past fall, do it right away. Making sure it happens every year is more important than having it done during a specific season.
Maintenance will keep your furnace clean and moving parts well-lubricated, which cuts down on wear and tear. It will also catch minor issues so they can be corrected before bigger problems develop. In addition to extending your furnace’s lifespan, maintenance will reduce the likelihood of repair needs and improve your furnace’s efficiency.
3: Get Repairs Promptly
When a repair need does arise, don’t delay! Get help right away. An unrepaired furnace issue can worsen quickly or cause secondary issues to develop. This often puts a lot of extra strain on the furnace, causing it to struggle and work harder just to try to keep your home warm. Prompt repairs will help to keep problems smaller and your furnace running longer.
If you have any specific questions about your older furnace in Cedar Grove, NJ, we’re happy to provide answers that are tailored to your exact situation.
Contact MarGo Plumbing Heating Cooling Inc. today with your questions about furnaces!