Tennessee winters can be harsh, with temperatures sometimes plunging into the low 20s. Dropping temperatures usually have the inverse effect on energy bills, causing heating costs to skyrocket.
There is a simple secret to slashing your heating costs in the winter. Are you ready for it? It’s heater maintenance.
A well-maintained furnace will heat your home more effectively, producing as much heat as possible for the energy it uses. Say goodbye to wasted energy and hello to comfortable indoor temperatures!
Let’s examine how local heater repair and maintenance services can help unlock savings.
Heaters in Need of Maintenance Waste Energy
With the average heating cost trending north of $900 this winter, furnace performance should be a priority for lessening the impact of heating bills on your household’s budget.
How Does a Furnace Work?
Before discussing how heaters in need of maintenance waste energy, it’s important to understand how a furnace works on a basic level:
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- Your furnace draws cold air from inside your home via a system of ducts.
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- This air goes through a combustion chamber where your furnace burns natural gas to warm up the air.
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- The air is then pushed back into your home via ducts.
This process doesn’t happen continuously – your furnace operates in cycles, pushing more hot air through your home’s ducts at regular intervals.
These steps are a little different if you have an electric furnace or a heat pump, but you’ll find similar components, including ducts, heating elements, or coils in the case fo heat pumps. For minisplit systems, duct health is replaced by refrigerant line maintenance.
Clogged Ducts
Because your furnace relies on ducts to pull and push air, things like clogs and leaking ducts can greatly reduce its efficiency. Think about it: Your furnace is working hard to warm up the air, but it’s unable to distribute it to the rooms that need heat! Plus, clogged ducts are usually bad for your indoor air quality.
Combustion Chamber Issues
Dirty flame sensors, clogged burners, and malfunctioning ignition systems are common culprits behind high energy bills. These elements are needed for your furnace to fully burn the natural gas it pulls into its combustion chamber. If something goes wrong in the combustion chamber, your furnace will release unburned natural gas into the atmosphere, causing excess flue and exhaust gases.
On top of polluting the environment, this unused natural gas is a costly waste of energy.
Moving Parts
Several moving parts circulate the air through your HVAC system. These include a blower fan, the blower motor powering it, a pulley system, a burner assembly, and a draft inducer motor, just to cite a few examples.
These moving parts go through wear and tear over the years. They can become dirty, damaged, or corroded. Any issues that prevent these parts from moving properly means your furnace will consume more energy to get them moving, while potentially losing some of its efficiency.
Key Heater Maintenance Tasks to Slash Your Energy Bills
Keeping your heater in top shape doesn’t have to be complicated. Like with many things in life, it’s best to catch issues early with regular maintenance rather than wait for a breakdown.
Stop spending money on wasted energy with this simple heater maintenance checklist:
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- Schedule an annual or semi-annual inspection by a professional. This is our top recommendation because an HVAC pro will know exactly what to look for, clean your furnace, and easily spot the parts that need to be replaced.
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- Keep ducts clean and fix leaks. You can clean air vents yourself, but it’s best to have a pro deep clean your ducts with a special machine. An HVAC expert can also spot duct leaks and seal them.
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- This one is easy: Replace or clean your furnace filter every one to three months. This simple chore will improve airflow and indoor air quality.
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- A thermostat that fails to accurately read the room temperature can cause your heater to cycle more than needed. Check your thermostat’s user manual to calibrate it, or have an HVAC pro do it.
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- Some small issues can be resolved with a DIY fix if you feel up to it. Examples include flushing your HVAC drain line or resetting your thermostat.
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- Lastly, you’ll likely have to spring for the occasional part replacement over the years. Common heater repairs include replacing the blower motor, gas control valve, or heat exchanger.
The Benefits of Regular Heater Maintenance and Repairs
Keeping up with heater maintenance in Tennessee comes with a small cost, but we’re confident you’ll reap the benefits:
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- Clean air ducts, moving parts in good working order, and a combustion chamber that works well translate into immediate savings on your energy bills.
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- Having an HVAC pro inspect your system regularly means catching issues early. In most cases, a small fix can prevent a larger and costlier repair down the road, especially with moving parts.
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- All these maintenance tasks help expand the lifespan of your furnace, sometimes up to 20 years or even more! Delaying a full replacement of your HVAC system is a great way to save and get more out of your initial investment.
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- Clean ducts and proper combustion also improve indoor air quality, and a heater that wastes less energy is ultimately better for the environment.
Finding a Local Heater Repair Service
Do you know the quickest way to cross every item off the checklist we shared above? Getting a local heater repair service to inspect your furnace once or twice a year, ideally before temperatures drop.
Plus, your local HVAC expert will likely have some personalized recommendations to help you save even more on heating (for instance, by improving your insulation!).
Ready to take heater maintenance off your to-do list and slash your heating costs? Give us a call! Airstream has been serving the middle Tennessee community since 2012.
As a fully licensed and insured family-owned business, we offer quality HVAC solutions at affordable prices, including maintenance, repairs, and installations. You can count on us for those 24/7 heating emergencies, transparent pricing, and five-star labor.
Book your heater appointment online today or give us a call at (866) 238-5431.
