How You Can Increase Your Old Heater's Efficiency For Constant Winter Use
Even old heaters can run efficiently, so when winter arrives and you need to run your heater often, you can help keep your energy bills low by taking some proactive steps. Professional maintenance, an inspection of your ducts, and ensuring good home insulation will help keep your house warm through the entire cold season.
Replace or Reinsulate Ducts
One of the most important components of your heating system is the network of ducts that delivers hot air to the different rooms in your house. If they are damaged or leaking, or if their insulation is no longer effective, this can cause your house to receive less air and for that air to be cooler than it should.
If your heater itself still mostly works fine, having your ducts repaired, replaced, or reinsulated can go a long way toward improving your heating system's efficiency. Ask an HVAC professional to inspect your ducts and see what they recommend.
Add Extra Attic Insulation
Since heat rises, one of the ways you can improve efficiency is by adding extra insulation to your attic if necessary. This will help hold in much more of the hot air your heater generates; if much of your hot air is escaping through the roof, it doesn't matter how efficient the rest of your system is.
Having your attic area inspected by a professional can help you establish what you need to do. Some areas might be fine while others need work, and a technician might also recommend something like improving attic ventilation to further increase efficiency.
Get a Maintenance Checkup
Annual maintenance becomes more important the older a heater gets. Some maintenance can be beneficial by spotting signs of parts failure before they get serious, but it can also help ensure your system is running efficiently. A technician can check your air filter, repair or replace failing components, and clean other parts that might result in your furnace shutting down early, such as the heat sensor. They can also look at other components, like your thermostat, that might not get as much attention as the heater itself.
Inspect Vents
Airflow is another part of efficiency when it comes to heating your home, and you can affect this by inspecting your vents. First, make sure the vents are clean and remove any buildup of dust and dirt that may have collected on them. If your vents are on the floor, remove the vents and vacuum within the ducts. Second, make sure nothing is blocking the vents; furniture placed in front of vents can render them almost useless. Finally, make sure all vents are open. Closing vents in certain areas doesn't improve efficiency, and might actually make things worse.
With all vents open, you can also check the temperature of the air coming out of each one. If some vents have cooler air or seem to have less pressure, this can be a sign of isolated duct issues a professional can inspect and repair for you.
For more information about heating systems, contact a local company.
