Furnace Questions
- What can
I do to make sure my furnace is operating properly?
First and foremost, change your filters at the recommended intervals depending on the type of filter; 1”& 2” fiberglass at least every 3 months, 1” & 2” pleated at least every 4 months, and 4” media (pleated) type filters at least once a year, but at least at the onset of each heating & cooling season. Bear in mind, these are general guidelines and your filters should be changed much more frequently for dusty conditions, pets in the house, or smoking in the home.
Don’t store flammable or corrosive chemicals near your furnace, try to avoid major refinishing or cleaning projects when your furnace is in use, as the fumes can cause harm to your furnace’s heat exchanger.
Have regularly scheduled maintenance performed on your furnace at the start of the heating season. This should include a thorough clean and check. We offer this service as part of our service contract {HCPP link} or as a regular service call. - Are the “high efficiency”
furnaces really that much better than my old one?
The newer high efficiency furnaces that are now available will give you a minimum of 80% efficiency, but go all the way up to 96% efficiency. What this means is that for every dollar you spend on gas you get at least $.80 worth of heat, or with a 96% furnace , $.96 of heat. Compare that to just a few years ago when some furnaces were only 70% efficient or some even older furnaces that were only 60-65%. See this link for more information about relative energy cost: Energy Services