Maintaining Your Furnace for Maximum Efficiency

Originally published in December 7, 2018, updated January 11, 2022

The Raleigh, North Carolina, area is no stranger to cold winters and costly heating bills. When the cold temperatures arrive, the demands of heating your home can cause your furnace to work overtime. To ensure your home stays comfortable, it’s important to keep your furnace well-maintained to preserve your system’s efficiency and reduce the risk of a costly breakdown. Here’s everything you need to know about keeping your heating system in top condition with furnace maintenance.

How Regular Maintenance Ensures Maximum Efficiency

Every furnace system is rated to deliver a specific level of efficiency. This efficiency is measured by a metric called annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE). An AFUE rating essentially tells you how much of the furnace’s fuel is converted to heat for use in your home.

As furnaces accumulate wear and tear over time, they eventually fall short of their rated efficiency. Mechanical parts begin to wear and work less smoothly. Dirt and other deposits cause friction in internal components. Airflow becomes restricted and less heat is able to reach your living space. These processes are all normal, but that doesn’t mean you need to accept them. Regular maintenance can correct these issues and keep your furnace running as efficiently as its manufacturer intended. In other words, a heating tune-up can help ensure you’re always getting what you paid for with your furnace.

Furnace Maintenance Basics

Furnaces are complex systems that require ongoing maintenance to work their best. A maintenance visit involves a long list of checks and repairs designed to keep everything running smoothly. After the initial inspection, a typical tune up may involve the following activities:

• Inspection of the heat exchanger, thermostat, flue pipe, gas valve and blower motor.
• Cleaning and adjustment of furnace burners.
• Lubrication of all motors, bearings and other moving parts inside your system.
• Testing of all wiring and electrical connections.
• Testing for leaks and carbon monoxide levels.

A technician may also perform a variety of other services depending on your furnace system. The end goal is to ensure that your furnace delivers heating as effectively and efficiently as possible. As an added bonus, a regular maintenance and inspection schedule can also prevent expensive breakdowns.

There’s no reason to spend more than necessary to stay warm this winter. A professional furnace maintenance visit can save you money and maximize the efficiency of your heating system. To learn more about the importance of caring for your heating system, check out Alford Mechanical’s maintenance services or call schedule furnace maintenance today. It’s not too late to complete maintenance if you missed a fall furnace tune-up.