Three Fixes For An Old Furnace That's Running Inefficiently

If you notice your energy bills suddenly spiking during cooler months of the year, there could be a problem with your furnace that's causing it to lose much of its efficiency. This can be caused by either the furnace itself or some of your HVAC system's components. Here's how to fix these issues.

Reinsulate Your Ducts

If your furnace itself is working correctly, the ducts may be leaking air or failing to keep your house warm. In older ducts, the insulation can start to fail, lose its effectiveness, and even fall away from the ducts. Any failure in insulation will require your furnace to run longer to warm your house, so it's worth making sure your ducts are in good shape, especially if they haven't been inspected in some time. Unless you intend to completely replace your ducts, you can often have them repaired and reinsulated, which can have a noticeable impact on your energy bills. Ask a technician to give your ducts a thorough inspection to see what they recommend.

Have Your Ignition System Inspected

The ignition system in your furnace is what lights the flame, keeps it on, and manages the flow of gas depending on whether the flame is lit or not. When these parts—such as the igniter or thermocouple—start to fail, the pilot light may only stay lit intermittently, causing your furnace to constantly shut off and turn back on again. This is not only hard on your furnace, but all this extra stopping and starting will make your energy bill rise. Sometimes this can be fixed if the parts are cleaned, as a buildup of debris can cause them to malfunction. In other cases, however, they may need to be replaced.

Replace the Motor

If you have a single-speed furnace motor, one of the best things you can do is to switch to a variable-speed motor. With single-speed motors, your furnace has two options: on and off. With variable speed, however, your furnace has the option to run at a lower speed when it can. This will keep your house's temperature more consistent. While your furnace will run longer, it will also not be running at full power. This ends up being more efficient than constantly turning on and off.

If your furnace's motor is starting to experience problems this could be a great option for a repair or replacement. For more information on heating system repair, ask your furnace repair technician how this would work for you.