Installing a gas furnace in Walker, LA is one thing, but the real game is all about how to reduce your energy expenses while staying cozy. This brings about many ideas thrown around about how to “hack” your system to perform better. Unfortunately, it also spreads around a lot of misconceptions about how heaters work.
More often than not, they’ll actually do more harm than good. We’ll talk about a few of them today so you can avoid bringing harm to your heater.
Higher Temperatures = Faster Heating
This misconception comes from that idea that setting your thermostat’s temperature higher will make the home warmer faster. It makes sense, right? More heating power now will get you to your ideal temperature quicker.
Unfortunately, that’s not how heaters work. Your furnace will always operate at the same speed. Setting the temperature higher will only be asking it to run longer than it has to. Plus, if you forget to go back and set the temperature back, you risk letting the system run longer than necessary.
While this isn’t going to break your heater, the goal of efficiency should always be to use as little energy as possible. Setting the temperature higher will only add the risk of making it run too long.
Air Filters Only Need Replacing at the Beginning of the Season
Replacing your air filter at the beginning of the season is certainly a good idea. However, it’s not the only time you should be replacing it.
The air filter is responsible for catching all the dust and dirt that might enter your HVAC system. It needs to be changed out whenever it becomes too dirty. Neglecting to replace it can bring a load of heating issues, like reduced airflow and—in the worst case—even contribute to carbon monoxide leaks.
How often you should change your air filter depends on a couple factors, like how many people are in the home and if there are any pets. As much as we love our furry friends, pets can bring in dust and dirt, as well as spread their pet dander.
Air filters need changing from anywhere between 30 to 90 days, so it’s best to consult with an HVAC technician to find out how often you should change yours.
Using Space Heaters to Compensate for a Whole-House Heating System
Space heaters are portable units that can bring warmth to individual rooms. If your goal is only to heat a couple rooms, they can be a great solution. If you find yourself buying as many units as there are rooms in the home, however, you’ll actually be raising your monthly expenses.
Part of the reason for this is that space heaters use electricity, and electricity can be expensive. If you’re having several space heaters doing the work that one gas furnace could do, you’ll end up spending more on all that power.
Even if the alternative is to buy an electric powered furnace, it’s still a better option than individual space heaters. Whole-house furnaces are programmed to heat the entire home, so it’s already taking into consideration how much power is needed to efficiently route all that warm air through your duct system. Once the home becomes sufficiently warm, it stops using power. Space heaters won’t be able to do this, meaning they’ll simply keep running until you turn them off.