2 Ways To Improve Your Heating Efficiency
Keeping your furnace efficient is key to effectively heating your home. If you fail to keep up even the most basic maintenance, you will find that your bills get higher and your system becomes less effective. Here are two easy ways to keep your heating system as productive as possible.
Change the Fuel and Air Filters
Hopefully you are already replacing your furnace air filter within the recommended amount of time. However, many people neglect filter replacement altogether. Worst of all, they don't realize that the furnace is part of the AC and heating systems. This means that a dirty furnace filter will ultimately reduce the AC output. The fact of the matter is, if your filter is not clean, it can have a negative effect on many other aspects of your HVAC system. Not only will your air be less filter, certain components will need to work harder to produce strong airflow. Changing a furnace filter is a job that only take you a few minutes. You should buy furnace filters in bulk to save money and always have them on hand when it comes time to replace them.
You also need to change the fuel filter. But, this is a job that only needs to be done once every 10 or more years. Fuel filters replacement is not that difficult, but most people let professionals do the work. Since you are working within the motor and dealing with the fuel input, there is a danger if the job is not done right. Basically, leave to the pros just to be safe.
Top Off the Heating Oil
The heating oil is another thing that can be easily self maintained. Most importantly, the homeowners can top off the oil levels so it doesn't get low. If your oil levels get too low, your motor will stain, your burner will be less efficient, and your furnace as whole will be less effective. Topping off the oil is easy, as long as you can find and access the reservoir. On some furnaces the reservoir is awkwardly placed and hard to get to. You might need a special funnel to do it without making a mess. Spilling oil within the furnace motor can be dangerous, so don't be sloppy.
These two jobs are very easy. If you have air filters and heating oil on hand at all times, you can do both of these tasks in less than an hour.
