Friday, October 17, 2008

Save Money By Increasing Home Furnace Efficiency

By Don Marshall

The snow and cold will be here once again before you know it. So you should be thinking about getting your heating system ready now. If you do it now you will boost your home furnace efficiency and help your heating system last longer too. Here are a few simple steps you can take to cut your heating bills.

Can you think of anything worse than having your furnace quit when you really need it? You can easily avoid such a situation by taking a few simple precautions and being proactive. Prepare your furnace for winter now so it will be running properly when you need it. It will also reward you by saving you money since it's running efficiently.

You can get your heating system ready for the cold by doing the following:

1. Have a heating company inspect and clean your furnace

This is the first step that should be completed. In order to make certain that your furnace is in good working condition, you should hire a qualified heating technician to clean and inspect the furnace. This is an inexpensive step and is well worth the cost. Remember a furnace that is not operating efficiently is going to cost you money in wasted energy.

Replace the furnace filter

If at all possible, purchase a reusable filter for your furnace. Reusable filters can be cleaned repeatedly and then used again, unlike disposable filters that have to be tossed out. Reusable filters will keep your furnace efficiency high, which will save you money.

Not to mention you will save money not buying new furnace filters several times a year. Be sure to change or clean the filter every month to make sure your furnace is not only working efficiently, but is circulating clean air.

Have your heating ducts cleaned

Mold, mildew and allergens can accumulate in the heating ducts over the years. Have a duct cleaning contractor thoroughly clean your ducts. This is another sound technique for boosting furnace efficiency making sure your furnace is pumping out clean air for your family to breathe.

Check your chimney and clean it if necessary

Having your chimney cleaned will boost furnace efficiency by allowing it to draft properly. A clean chimney will also allow deadly carbon monoxide fumes to vent safely out of your home.

These are a few of the simple steps you can follow to get your furnace ready for the cold, winter months. Many homeowners don't realize it but the best time to have your furnace serviced is in the spring or summer, well before you need to use it.

Many furnace contractors will give you a hefty discount for having service performed before they get busy. This simple technique could save you even more of your hard earned money. By properly preparing your furnace for winter, you can be sure you are getting top-notch furnace efficiency and saving money on your heating bills too. - 15266

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