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Tips to Make Your Alton, IL Homeā€™s Furnace Last Longer

furnace
On average the lifespan for furnaces in the Alton, IL ranges from 15 to 20 years. This can vary based on the quality and type of furnace that your home uses. However, ensuring that your furnace is properly maintained can help ensure a longer life for your furnace. Here are several tips that can help you get the longest life out of your home’s furnace.

Maintain Proper Airflow

Heating FIlters Most homes in Alton, IL have an HVAC system that is designed to circulate a precise volume of air that meets the set temperature on the thermostat. When there are blockages or other problems that can throw off the air balance, your system can become stressed. This causes the system to increase its energy usage and can speed up wear and tear. Ensuring that you maintain adequate airflow can help decrease cycle times which reduces any damage to your blower. The most common issue with airflow that can occur in your system is a clogged filter. The filter should be properly cleaned and replaced about once a month. If this is not the issue, try checking around your outdoor condenser. The problem out here could be vegetation which should be properly trimmed away from your unit. This was your unit fans can properly function. Finally, if there is still an issue, check your vent registers to ensure that they arenā€™t blocked by furniture or have been accidentally closed.

Avoid Using the ā€œOnā€ Setting for Your Furnace

Thermostats in the Alton, IL area usually have two fan settings which are ā€œAutoā€ and ā€œOnā€. These settings directly control the blower inside of your furnace’s air handler. The ā€œOnā€ setting makes your blower run constantly while the ā€œAutoā€ setting only allows it to run when your HVAC system is in use. In almost every instance, the ā€œAutoā€ setting should be used over the ā€œOnā€ setting. When you leave your home’s thermostat fan control set to ā€œOnā€, you are using more energy than you should. Besides wasting energy, it also can cause the fan bearings to wear out faster as the fan is constantly going. An example of an appropriate time for this setting to be used is when you have a whole-house air purifier. Thermostat

Get an Annual Furnace Tune-Up

HVAC systems are complex appliances, and homeowners in the Alton, IL area can only do so much to properly maintain them. Scheduling an annual furnace tune-up once a year can help you improve the health of your system long-term. If you are wanting to schedule a tune-up or are wanting a technician to come out and look at your system, give our team at B & W Heating and Cooling a call today!