3 Tips To Keep An Old Furnace Running
Posted on: 17 December 2021
Modern furnaces are relatively long-lasting. You may find estimates ranging from fifteen years up to a few decades for the average lifespan of a gas-fired furnace. While this long lifespan means that it's easy to get plenty of value for your money, it also means that many homeowners are operating relatively ancient units.
Replacing an old furnace comes with substantial gains in reliability and efficiency but with a high price tag. If you have an old furnace that's still keeping your house warm, you may want to keep it operating for as long as you can. These three tips will help you keep your venerable heating equipment in service, even as the 21st century enters its third decade.
1. Schedule Annual Maintenance Visits
Many of the best practices you can apply to vehicle maintenance apply to HVAC maintenance as well. As your vehicle ages, you'll usually want to start planning for more frequent maintenance and service visits. Likewise, HVAC equipment with many years and thousands of hours of service will require a little more love and attention.
Annual service visits are one of the best ways to give your furnace the dedication it needs to keep running through its golden years. An HVAC technician will clean and lubricate parts as necessary and inspect your furnace for signs of developing trouble. These steps will help ensure that your furnace operates as efficiently as possible, even if it already has a few decades in the rearview mirror.
2. Don't Ignore Problems
Problems with an old furnace will quickly develop into critical failures. In particular, you should never ignore issues related to airflow or overheating conditions. Anything that allows the furnace's heat exchanger to get too hot can damage it, potentially allowing harmful combustion gases to escape into your house. Older furnaces, in particular, will have fewer protections against this possibility.
If you know your furnace has a problem, addressing it as soon as possible is the best way to keep your furnace running and save money. However expensive the repair may be, it will almost certainly cost less than replacing the heat exchanger or buying an entirely new furnace.
3. Do Your Own Maintenance
While a DIY maintenance job is no substitute for an annual checkup, some basic cleaning throughout the year can help keep your furnace going. These steps should include routinely checking and replacing the filter, cleaning inside the cabinet, and ensuring that your vents remain clean and free of any potential airflow obstructions.
These simple tasks might not seem like much, but they can ensure your furnace receives a steady, clean supply of air. Ultimately, minimizing the likelihood of airflow restrictions will help protect the most critical components in your furnace, helping you to maximize its lifespan and avoid some of the most common reasons for replacement.
Contact a heating service for more information.
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