It takes more to maintain your furnace than changing the air filters; the motor fan needs to be checked, the burners cleaned, and safety tests should be done. Proper maintenance insures your furnace is running efficiently, conserving energy and money.

Video Transcription

Male: Ms. Broda, Ms. Broda what did you lean in there? What can you tell us? Bea: Not you again, you are always hustling for the story. Well okay, did you know that having your furnace service once a year can make your house far more energy efficient and save you money. This house just had its annual overhaul by a certified technician. Male: And? Bea: Well, I have recorded the whole thing including the cost saving tips right here on my hand held, do you want to see? That is Chris Cumming, he works for a certified heating and air-conditioning contractor that is a member of HRAC the Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning contractors of Canada. HRAC make sure that Chris and his employer have all the qualifications they need for properly servicing your furnace. I told them that I do remember to change furnace filters in spring and fall but he said it takes a bit more than that. Our furnace is a running machine and like a car it needs regular tune-ups before the death of winter to keep it working and to save money on fuel. The technician showed me that inspections performed by a licensed technician include a safety test for carbon monoxide, a check of the piping to the furnace a check of the intake and exhaust terminations, a check on air filters clean or replace as necessary. Checking the blower operation, checking the burners, and setting them for proper combustion and ignition, a check of the thermostat and safety controls. And also the technician gave me some great tips for conserving fuel and for saving money. For example, consider installing a programmable thermostat, which automatically lowers the temperature at night, or when you are away. The setback temperature at night should not be more than three degrees. If you have a natural gas fireplace he recommends that you have it serviced once a year. If the furnace is more than 15 years old he recommends replacing it. The newer ones use less energy and can greatly reduce your operating costs. And he told me about a website where you can get all these information and if you want a qualified contractor you should use this website too. So there you go, it seems like a thermo maintenance is the key to energy efficiency. Well, got to go, bye. Hope you got all that you might end up freezing in the night.