If you are wondering whether it’s okay to run your furnace to keep your house warm and toasty, no, it’s not a good thing to do. This is because when your furnace is constantly running, it becomes inefficient. A unit that is continually running tends to wear out more quickly.

According to furnace repair service professionals, the best way to keep your unit in top working condition is to set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature and allow the furnace to cycle on and off as needed to maintain that temperature.

Besides this helping to save energy and extend the furnace’s life, it ensures that your house is always comfortable.

Other furnace best practices

Besides using the thermostat to ensure that your furnace is running optimally, you should do plenty of other things. These things include:

Have the furnace inspected by an experienced professional

At least once a year, have your furnace inspected by an experienced professional. This will give you peace of mind that your unit is in top condition and help you identify even the most minute problems before they get worse.

During the inspection, the professional should:

• Check the furnace filter and replace it if it is dirty or worn out.
• Inspect the furnace for any visible damage, such as rust or cracks.
• Check the furnace’s combustion chamber and heat exchanger for cracks or damage.
• Inspect the flue pipe for any blockages or damage.
• Check the furnace’s blower motor and belt to ensure they are functioning properly.
• Check the furnace’s ignition system to make sure it is working properly.
• Check all of the furnace’s controls to ensure they are functioning properly.
• Test the furnace by turning it on and ensuring it is heating your home properly.
• If the professional identifies a problem, regardless of how minor it is, they should fix it immediately.

Keep the area around the furnace clean and clear of debris.

There is no way a dirty furnace will function efficiently, so you need to ensure that it’s clean all the time. And it’s not only the furnace that should be clean—the area should also be.

You should remove clothes, boxes, and other items from the indoor unit to keep the area clutter-free. Besides the indoor unit, look at the outdoor unit and ensure that there are no branches, pieces of clothing, and any other materials that can block the unit and prevent it from functioning as well as it should.

Most homeowners keep paints, cleaning supplies, and even gasoline in the same room as the furnace. If you don’t have any other place to store them, you can have them in the same room but ensure they aren’t too close to the furnace that they risk clogging up.

Replace the furnace

Every homeowner dreams of holding on to their furnace for as long as possible. Most furnaces last for 10-15 years, after which they become problematic. After this time, they start breaking down more often.

If your furnace is more than 15 years, you should stop repairing it, as you will be pouring money down the drain. Instead, you should replace it with a better unit.

When getting a new furnace, pay attention to the size of your home. Of course, you should go for a unit that is the right size for your home. While at it, also consider the energy star rating.

For your unit to consume as little energy as possible, you want a unit with a high-energy rating.

Never ignore problems

Even the most properly maintained furnaces will develop problems. For example, you will notice your unit making weird noises. Since such a problem doesn’t prevent the unit from running, some homeowners simply ignore it and keep their units running. This is wrong.

Remember that the small problems get worse over time, and when you run your appliance with the small issues, they get worse, and you are left with a damaged unit.

To stay safe, don’t run your unit regardless of how minor the problem appears. The right way to go about it is to shut the unit and ask an experienced furnace service Long Island to look at it.