As the temperature outside descends into below freezing territory, you rely on your furnace to keep your home and family warm. Unfortunately, the health and dependability of your heating system can drastically drop when your furnace is not properly attended to. Homeowners often make a handful of mistakes that put their unit in jeopardy of breaking down. To help you avoid or correct those missteps, we've listed them below.
Ignoring the Warning Signs
As long as hot air is blowing through your vents, it's easy to believe your furnace is functioning at its most optimal level. However, strange noises, abnormal smells, and physical indicators can point to an impending breakdown. Ignoring these signs will only turn a potentially easy repair into a more serious and expensive malfunction. As a responsible homeowner, it is important to have all unusual symptoms addressed by your New England Cooling Towers, Inc. HVAC specialist to ensure your furnace doesn't call it quits during a particularly cold winter day.
Not Replacing an Old Furnace
Nobody likes spending a large amount of money at once, however, when it comes to replacing your furnace, putting off the purchase year after year can end up costing you an even larger amount of cash. The average life expectancy of a heating system is around 15 years. If your unit is close to that age or older than that, and it's experiencing frequent malfunctions, it's time to start shopping for a new one. While the initial cost may feel like a hard pill to swallow, the money and stress it will save you in the long run is well worth the investment.
Not Having Your Furnace Tuned Up at the Start of Each Season
A furnace tune-up ensures your system is clean and its many components are functioning properly. Often times, homeowners will put off a tune-up simply because their unit ran perfectly fine the previous winter. This way of thinking does not take into consideration the wear and tear your furnace inevitably experienced last heating season. Ignoring the need for a tune-up can cut back on your system's efficiency and increase its chances of breaking down at some point during the winter. If you didn't get your heating system tuned up at the beginning of the season, don't worry; scheduling a tune-up in the middle of the season is still extremely beneficial and will help your system run smoothly for the rest of the winter
If you're concerned with your furnace's performance or you would like to schedule a tune-up, please contact us today.
