Has your furnace had its wellness exam?

Much like our physicians recommend an annual wellness exam, most furnace manufacturers recommend a wellness exam or preventive maintenance visit for your furnace.

We all should be going to our doctors to receive a health screening to monitor the health of our bodies, and take recommended actions to improve and lengthen our life.

The furnaces in our homes also require the same type of screening from a highly trained and certified technician. The top causes of heating system failure are dirt and neglect, according to the EPA at the Energy Star website.

An exam from a technician will get out the dirt that could cause system failure and also increase system efficiency.

Since most of our homes are heated with natural gas, propane, or fuel oil, the technician will also check whether the burner is performing its job properly. With the rising cost to heat our homes, burner set up is critical to ensure the furnace is not wasting any fuel.

A common symptom the furnace may experience is a “fever.” Much like when our body has a fever, the furnace has to work harder to provide the comfort we desire.

A dirty or clogged filter will cause the furnace to overheat. If the filter had been neglected too long, there may be a need for the technician to prescribe further services like duct work cleaning to improve airflow and reduce the “fever.”

Another prescription to high energy bills may be to replace an inefficient furnace with newer technology. The older furnace could be operating to its peak efficiency, but using as much as 30 percent more energy than a newer furnace.

Installing a new high efficient furnace would lessen the money paid to the utility companies.

Before the cold winter arrives remember to get the wellness exam that is much needed for the dependable and affordable operation of your heating system.

This article was submitted by Schneider’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, Butler.