Can your homes air quality make your heating system operate more efficiently
While we continue to spend an increased amount of time indoors, it becomes even more important that the environment in our homes is both healthy and comfortable. Consider your home’s air quality and your heating system. During these colder winter months, home furnaces tend to take on a larger role in ensuring those levels of health and comfort stay as high as possible, and making the furnace’s job easier only makes our lives better. Interestingly, the quality of the air that enters a furnace can play as large a role in determining how well the furnace is running as the quality of the air leaving the furnace. Because of this, there are some common maintenance tips homeowners should follow to make sure they’re circulating the highest quality air available throughout their home.
Better Out Than In
The quality of the air entering the furnace can have a dramatic effect on the efficiency of the unit. Air laden with particles of dust, smoke, mildew, and mold can lead to those same substances building up inside the furnace, collecting on the coils and within the vents. As the furnace warms and recirculates this air, it also causes these nasty substances to build up on and clog furnace filters faster. With dust within the vents and a clogged air filter, the furnace will have to work harder than normal to circulate the same amount of air, drawing on more power during a time when the furnace is already overworked.
Ways to Combat Dust and Debris Buildup
There are a few key maintenance tips to combat air quality issues from weighing down a home’s heating system. The first is to ensure enough outside air is moving through the home. Proper ventilation is difficult in the colder months, but important to keeping clean air flowing, so cracking a window or screen door when possible will always help.
Second, remember to clean or replace the furnace’s air filter (depending on the type of furnace. A clean filter helps trap any of the pollutants floating in the air as it moves through the furnace and vents, and a dirty, clogged filter will act as a choke point. In a similar vein, consider scheduling a cleaning for the furnace ventilation and ducts. A professional duct cleaning will clear out any hard-to-reach buildup, and make sure the dust and debris is far away from air intake vents.
Finally, proper maintenance will always help keep a furnace running longer. Scheduling a professional maintenance inspection will help pinpoint and clean any areas within the furnace that have built-up dust, allergens, or debris, as well thoroughly inspecting to ensure any other issues are buttoned up before they snowball into something more concerning.
Indoor air quality plays an important role year-round, but particularly now when outside ventilation is harder to come by. Homeowners should do their best to keep clean air circulating as much as possible, and letting in fresh outdoor air when they can. If it feels like the furnace isn’t keeping pace, or if air quality is dipping within your home, consider reaching out to the professionals at Duane Blanton Family Home Services. With over 30 years of HVAC knowledge, the professionals at Duane Blanton can help homeowners diagnose furnace issues before they balloon into major headaches. Reach out to Duane Blanton today, at (847_855-0075, or schedule an appointment in your browser with their convenient online scheduling portal.
