Five Ways to Improve Furnace Efficiency

With winter in full swing and record high energy prices, finding ways to increase your furnace’s efficiency will increase your comfort and save you a significant amount of money. In this article, we’ll outline five things you can do to improve your furnace’s efficiency.

1. Seal Your Duct Joints: Unsealed air ducts hinder your furnace’s ability to heat your home. Poorly sealed ducts leak heated air as it travels throughout your home. In some cases, you could see losses as high as 20%. Sealing ducts with duct mastic or furnace tape can help create an airtight barrier at duct joints and increase efficiency. If your ducts are in places you cannot reach, a professional HVAC contractor can help you.
2. Install Airflow Dampers: Most homeowners think they will save money by closing a duct vent in a room they do not need to heat. Nothing could be further from the truth because warm air will still travel through your ductwork to the room with the closed vent. This is a terrible waste of energy. Instead of closing vents, speak to an HVAC professional about installing remote-controlled dampers that help re-route hot air before it travels to rooms that don’t need heat.
3. Lower thermostat temperature: As a rule of thumb, lowering your thermostat by 1 degree can produce a 1% savings over eight hours. Reducing it further will deliver even more savings. Additionally, during the evening and hours you’re not home, you can lower your thermostat further. Consider a smart thermostat that allows you to create a heating schedule that maximizes energy efficiency.
4. Use high-quality filters and change them often: One of the easiest things you can do is use efficient, high-quality air filters in your system. If you are unsure what filters you should use, speak to an HVAC professional for guidance. Additionally, dirty air filters decrease airflow and make your system highly inefficient, so inspect and replace dirty filters as necessary.
5. Get an inspection and tune-up: Many homeowners ignore their furnaces until something breaks or there is a drastic difference in heating output. If you haven’t had an assessment and tune-up this season, call your HVAC professional. They will make sure your furnace is running as efficiently as possible.