FAQ

If set up properly for maximum efficiency, a programmable thermostat can save you up to $180 a year in energy costs.

Getting familiar with setbacks and setups that will use your heating and cooling system efficiently greatly increases your savings.

Visit energy.gov for an in depth guide on how to get the most out of your programmable thermostat.

The best time to get your furnace maintained is in the fall, right before the cold of winter.  It’s best to make sure your furnace is in tip top shape before you need it the most. You don’t want your furnace to break down in the heart of winter!

If there is a significant delay between the time you turn adjust your thermostat to when your furnace ignites, the burners are probably dirty. When the burners are dirty they can prevent the gas feeding into the furnace to ignite immediately, and the gas will build up before igniting. When they finally do ignite, it causes a loud boom.

This problem should not be ignored, as it can cause cracks in the heat exchanger, which is a costly repair.

Have a professional come to clean the burners and if they are that dirty, there is a good chance the rest of your furnace will need attention.

Yes, a ceiling fan running counter clockwise takes the heat which has risen to the ceiling and circulates it back down the edges of the room, which helps heat the room.

If your furnace is blowing cold air, there are several possible causes:

• The pilot is dirty, the pilot light was blown out by a strong draft, or the thermocouple is bad.
• The gas valve is switched off, and therefore no gas is feeding into the furnace.
• The thermostat is on the wrong setting (“ON” instead of “AUTO”).

For more specific information, contact a professional to get the problem properly diagnosed.

Look for the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating, which measures a furnace’s energy efficiency. This rating tells you what percentage of the fuel used is actually heating your home, and how much is being lost in the combustion process.

You want a furnace with a high rating, with some modern furnaces going as high as 98%. Old furnaces are 50% to 60% efficient, which means that half of the money you are spending on heat is being wasted in the process.

Modern furnaces are required by federal mandate to have a minimum AFUE rating of 80%.

If you noticed a burning smell coming from your furnace upon your first ignition this winter, don’t worry, this is perfectly normal.

As your furnace sits unused all summer, dust and dirt collects inside it. When you ignite it that first time, all this dust will burn off, usually fairly quickly. How long the smell lasts depends entirely on how dirty your furnace got in it’s off season.

This problem can be minimized by getting your furnace tuned up in the fall, at which time the internal components are thoroughly cleaned. This will help the furnace run efficiently through the winter months.