One of the most important and effective winter energy saving tips to remember is centered around the preservation of your furnace. That means you need to practice proper good maintenance to help ensure that you get the most out of it while reducing the potential for high heating repair bills.

Every furnace is going to have a malfunction or two throughout its lifespan, but if you neglect the simple cleaning and upkeep that goes into caring for your furnace, you may find that it suffers more breakdowns than expected. A furnace is like any piece of delicate equipment in your home, it only runs as well as you maintain it.

The last thing you want is a furnace that peters out on you in the dead of winter. Being cold for a few days or even a couple of weeks all because you neglected to take care of it can be extremely frustrating and very uncomfortable. Try living without a heating system when the temperatures plummet outdoors, you’ll soon find the temperatures going in the same direction indoors soon enough.

Don’t tempt fate by failing to put in the necessary effort into keeping your furnace working at peak performance. The lifespan of the average furnace is roughly 15 years. So, if you are concerned about maximizing the life of your furnace, here’s what you need to do:

Schedule Routine Maintenance

Get an expert in twice a year to check your furnace and diagnose any potential issues that might arise. You want to do this in the spring and the fall, so your furnace is all ready to take on the levels of use and wear and tear that typically come as part of the colder months of the year.

A tune-up here and a quick fix there and you can be sure you’re saving money as well as saving your health and well-being by finding any carbon monoxide leaks or other malfunctions before they become a serious concern.

Cleaning the Furnace

Again, your furnace is like anything else, if you don’t take care of it, the unit will eventually stop working. That means remaining diligent about cleaning the furnace, but how do you know if the unit is dirty or clean? That’s easy, take a look at the color of the flames in your burners. This will require you to physically inspect the flame.

It all comes down to the color. Blue means that everything is okay and you don’t need to take any action. However, a yellow flame means that the burners are dirty and must be cleaned. Doing this will take some careful cleaning tactics. Shut down the power and gas lines to the furnace and then start vacuuming your burners and base.

Swap Out Your Air Filter

The furnace of your system needs proper air flow if it’s going to work properly. But when you forget to change out your air filter, that can reduce the amount of air flow that gets into your system. A lack of air flow can make the furnace work less effectively and force it to work longer and harder. This can lead to overheating and overtaxing the system, forcing it break down.

So, you want to change your air filter every two to three months. Doing so won’t just keep your heating system working efficiently but it will preserve the life of your furnace while you’re at it.

Close the Leaks

One of the biggest enemies to your heating and cooling system is when leaks are present anywhere in the lines. When these leaks are allowed to remain, your furnace is forced to work a whole lot harder just to get your home to a comfortable temperature level. Leaks will allow for your costly climate-controlled air to seep out, meaning that it doesn’t stay inside your home, where it belongs.

Finding those leaks can make a world of difference, seal and insulate all of your ductwork which can account for a loss of nearly half your air escaping.

The Right Thermostat

This is also very important, even if it doesn’t seem like something that you should be concerned with all that much. Without the right thermostat installed, your furnace won’t operate properly. Programmable thermostats are the ideal way to keep your furnace running smoothly and efficiently. If you already have a modern and reliable thermostat in place, check the batteries from time to time. Put in a fresh pair every couple of months to keep your system working without a hitch.