For most of us, we never really give our furnaces much thought. As long as our homes are a comfortable temperature, we rarely venture down to the basement to see how it’s doing. When something goes wrong, then it’s a completely different story. Did you know that a regular tune up will help your furnace run more efficiently and save you money on your heating and cooling bills? Just like a car needs regular tune ups to run smoothly, regular maintenance on your furnace will help prevent any unexpected repairs. Peter Temko, a service technician at Boonstra’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning has some helpful tips on how to keep your furnace running efficiently.

A furnace is a complicated machine. Although the basic concept hasn’t changed in more than 100 years, new models are far more complex because they incorporate parts with new technology. When talking about the furnace, you need to know that the system includes the air conditioning. Not only is your furnace responsible for blowing warm air through the house in the winter, it also circulates cool air in the summer. For that reason, when a Boonstra’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning technician comes out to service your system, they’ll be looking at the furnace and the air conditioner.

“You get preventive maintenance on your furnace and your air conditioner,” says the service technician. “As far as maintenance goes, it’s all tied together.” What exactly is involved in a furnace tune up? “We do a thorough inspection of the A coil, flush the drain lines, check refrigerant levels, and make sure the filters are clean,” Temko explains. A furnace filter should be cleaned regularly to ensure maximum air flow is passing through it. If your filter is blocked with debris, then the furnace has to work harder, resulting in high energy bills. As for how often you should change your filter, Temko says it depends on the brand of filter.

“Different filters require different maintenance,” he says, adding that pleated filters should be changed every three months, see through filters replaced monthly, and box filters changed yearly. Of course if you notice your filters are dirty before these suggested timelines, then he recommends changing them as needed.

When checking the air conditioner, the technician will flush and clean the drains. Since the unit produces water, if the drains aren’t flushed, the water could easily flow down into your furnace and you might end up with other problems.

“Humidifiers need to be shut off during the summer to help the air conditioner work well,” says Temko, explaining that the air conditioner pulls humidity out of the house and the humidifier puts humidity back in. If the humidifier is left on, it will make the AC unit work harder.

A yearly inspection by a technician will protect your home from carbon monoxide (CO) levels.

“We come in and do a safety inspection and check CO levels. It’s critical with older pieces of equipment,” Temko explains. The regular inspection will also ensure that your furnace is running smoothly and efficiently, giving you peace of mind.

For more information on services offered by Boonstra’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning, visit www.boonstrasonehour.com.