One of the best ways to avoid bad decisions is to learn from the mistakes of others. When it comes to your furnace, there are several common mistakes that homeowners make that you can sidestep by simply becoming aware of those mistakes in the first place. Today we’re going to help you do that by talking about some of the most common furnace mistakes that homeowners make and what you can do to avoid them!
10 common furnace mistakes and what you can do to avoid them
- Not changing your filter. You’d be shocked at the number of furnace problems that can be avoided by simply changing your air filter. A dirty filter causes all sorts of performance and efficiency issues with your system. Sign up for Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning’s monthly email reminders at the bottom of our homepage so that you never forget to change your filter!
- Blocking air registers. Many people mistakenly put furniture or other large objects on top or in front of supply and return registers. This can lead to airflow issues and prevent your rooms from heating properly. Make sure that all of your air registers are clear of obstructions.
- Skipping annual maintenance. Getting annual tune-ups is essential if you want your furnace to work properly and efficiently each winter. If you skip a tune-up, there’s a much greater chance that you’ll be calling us for a repair later on in the season when you need your furnace the most. Remember to schedule a tune-up every fall for your furnace. If you sign up for one of our maintenance clubs, we’ll send you an email or postcard when it’s time for a tune-up so that you’ll never forget!
- Ignoring tell-tale signs of problems. When your furnace is experiencing problems, it typically has ways of telling you. It might start making loud noises, giving off strange smells, or consuming much more energy than usual. Don’t make the mistake of thinking these strange symptoms will fix themselves; call Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning to have your system inspected!
- Waiting too long to call for repair. Speaking of calling for a furnace repair, don’t wait too long to call us for help. Furnace problems almost always get worse with time, and the longer you wait the more expensive and damaging the problem will become.
- Setting the thermostat too high. Although you might be tempted to set your thermostat to 80 degrees when it’s super cold outside, this will lead to extremely high energy bills. In addition, excessively high thermostat settings can overwork your furnace and lead to performance problems. Make sure to use a temperature setting that is both efficient and comfortable.
- Heating an empty home. There’s no reason to heat your home to your normal temperature setting when nobody is there to enjoy it. You can save a lot of energy and reduce the stress on your furnace by setting your thermostat back about 5 degrees during the hours of the day that your family is away at school and work.
- Waiting too long to replace your system. We know that a furnace can be a big investment, but so is spending money on operating an old and inefficient system. The longer you wait to replace an old furnace, the more money it will cost to operate and the more likely it is that you’ll have to spend money on repairs. That money would be better spent on a new and efficient system.
- Choosing a system based on price alone. When you’re choosing a new furnace, it’s tempting to make your decision based on price alone. This is not a good idea, however, because you should also consider the amount of money you’ll spend on energy costs throughout the system’s lifetime. A high-efficiency system will cost more upfront, but it will save you money in the long run.
- Choosing a contractor based on price alone. Even worse than choosing a furnace based on costs is choosing a heating contractor based on price alone. Low-priced contractors have low fees for a reason: they don’t perform quality work and they don’t have the experience and credentials it takes to install and repair a furnace the right way. When you work with a high-quality contractor like Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, you will save money because your system will perform more efficiently and you’ll spend less money on repair calls throughout your system’s lifetime.
If you have any questions about these common furnace mistakes, or if you’d like a heating system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Charles, MO, furnace installation and repair contractor. We service the entire St. Louis area, including towns like Ballwin, Chesterfield, and Clarkson Valley, MO.
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