Furnace Repair Sherwood Park | More Questions About Furnaces
You want your furnace to run well and be efficient. Whether it’s a hot summer day or you’re in the middle of a deepfreeze, you expect it to keep your home comfortable and safe. There are some frequent questions we get as a reputable furnace company. At Hinse Brothers Mechanical we do our best to keep you educated on how to take care of your furnace so that it runs smoothly and lasts for a long time.
A well maintained and well chosen furnace can last and do the job well for up to thirty years. However, there are things that you may do in your home that can compromise that. Find out what you can do to make your furnace efficient and keep it working properly for its lifetime.
How Can You Protect Your Furnace
One question we get asked frequently is how to protect the furnace during a renovation project. There are some simple things you can do to keep your furnace as well as heating and cooling system safe. The first thing to do is use an efficient furnace filter. These filters are a priority if you want to eliminate airborne contaminants, have less dust and even get rid of odors. If you have respiratory issues this type of filter is a must have. The are made from cotton or polyester.
Why Good Airflow Is Important
You may have bought a high efficiency air filter but now you are wondering how often you need to check on it and even change it out for a new one. First of all check the filter often. Be sure to examine it well since drywall dust is the same color as most filters. If your filter is plugged it will cause problems for your furnace.
The airflow will be compromised and that will make your furnace work harder and less efficiently. It could even lead to damage like mechanical breakdowns. Newer furnaces have a lot of electronic components which means dust build up on them is damaging too.
Get Rid Of Any Nearby Debris From Your Furnace
If you want to eliminate even more debris from getting into your furnace system try placing a filter over the cold air returns. You may have to custom design it by cutting a furnace air filter and adhering it to the vent. This will keep big and small debris from getting into the furnace and duct system but will also still allow air flow. Without the air flow, your furnace will not function properly.
Try covering the floor vents with mesh. You can buy these at the hardware store for very little money. An alternative to buying is making your own if you have mesh material already. Again, this will allow the air to flow freely in your HVAC system without letting in excess dust and debris.
Keep The Job Site Clean To Prevent Issues
If you keep the job site clean on a very regular basis, like daily, you can eliminate a lot of dust and debris from entering the HVAC system. By sweeping, cleaning up debris and even vacuuming everyday you can make an impact on how dusty and dirty your home gets during the invasive renovation of your home. In addition to this we recommend you have your furnace and ducts cleaned by a professional once the renovation project is over.
Many people ask if it is okay to block or shut a vent and what happens when they do that? There are different issues that happen when you close off the vents to a room in your home. For one thing the air flow is compromised for the entire system. If air is not able to pass through the vent into the room it will be backed up into the duct system which can cause a pressure build up into the system.
Prevent Overheating To Avoid Issues
From this the system can overheat and break. A second problem that can result from closing off a room’s vent is that the moisture is not dispersed evenly and this can lead to mold and mildew growth.
Many people ask if it is allowable to enclose the furnace. You can definitely put walls around it or enclose it in a room to itself. There is nothing unsafe about this but of course leave enough space to change out your filter and to be able to get at the furnace for maintenance and repair when needed. The rule of thumb is to leave about 30 to 36 inches between the furnace sides and the walls.
Should You Insulate Around A Furnace
Something else that gets asked is if it is acceptable to insulate around the furnace. The short answer is no. Insulation should not be in contact with the furnace system in any way. If it touches the sides of the furnace this can cause problems with corrosion of the sheet metal. What you can do instead is insulate the room the furnace is in. This can help reduce heating costs and even make the furnace run more efficiently.
To find out exact requirements and specifications you will need to discuss this option with your furnace specialist. This isn’t exactly a DIY project because you want it to still be to code making it a safe feature for your family and your home.
Furnaces need regular maintenance to keep them running smooth and efficiently. This is not something you install and forget about it. You heat and possibly cool your home year-round. Much like a car you need to be sure it is serviced regularly. You want to detect problems proactively so that you catch early wear and tear and deal with it while it’s a small issue.
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If you wait too long it can turn into a bigger problem and worst of all you could be left in the cold or have other damage to your home if the heat goes out in the middle of a deep freeze. Failures like that go hand in hand with higher than usual expenses. A little maintenance goes a long way. Call us at 780-999-6900 at Hinse Brothers Mechanical to schedule a routine maintenance visit today.