3 Ways to Make Sure Your Furnace is Working Properly

Based on what it feels like outside today, heating season is officially upon us! This means that it is time to crank up your gas furnace and warm up your home.  During these colder months the furnace is an essential appliance in the household, and it is important to make sure that it is working properly.  A broken furnace could mean anything from higher utility bills, to no heat, to even dangers such as carbon monoxide poisoning.  Read on to discover about 3 major ways you can ensure that your gas furnace is working properly this heating season.

1. Annual Furnace Inspections

One of the best ways you can ensure that your furnace is working properly now and that it will continue to run well is by having it inspected every year.  Certified technicians will check to see that it is running efficiently and that there are no major safety issues.  Some of the things they check for include gas leaks as well as cracks in the heat exchanger, which can lead to carbon monoxide leaks in the home.  It is a good idea to have your furnace inspected at the beginning of the season or even before your turn it on, but don’t worry if you can’t get it done until a bit later-it is perfectly safe to still start and run your furnace prior to it being inspected.

2. Change the Filters

Your furnace filter helps to trap particles in the air such as dust and mold in order to make your home’s air cleaner and easier to breathe.  It is important to change or clean these filters approximately once a month because they can get clogged.  When the filter is clogged and blocked the furnace needs to work harder to heat your home, which means it is running very inefficiently.  Remembering to change or clean the filters regularly will help your furnace to keep operating as efficiently as it should and it won’t burden the furnace unnecessarily.  Whether you change or clean the filter will depend upon what type of filter you use.  Certain filters are disposable while more intensive filters generally are washed and reused each month.

3. Seal the Ducts

Your furnace could be doing its best, but its best might not be good enough if the heated air is leaking through the duct system.  This is why it is a good idea to have the duct system sealed for leaks.

A properly working furnace will provide your home and family with heat for about 15 years or so.  If your furnace is 15 years or older, or if it is broken beyond repair, contact FLAME for more information about investing in a Bryant furnace!