A very long time ago I read my first furnace insurance book and found that their lifespan usually lasted about 15 years. “What to do after?” I asked myself, “replace it or fix it every single year?!”

At that time I was not experienced in using furnaces, so I called my neighbors and asked what furnace they had installed? I was surprised to know that they did regular maintenance to reduce the risk of breaking down.

We should keep an eye on all our appliances, especially the major ones.
Today it is very cold outside and thanks to my furnace it's warm and comfy at my place.
But what if you feel that the furnace is not working properly and it's not warm enough. Should it be a sign to do a maintenance recheck? Sure yes! Don't rely on luck, I will tell you about a couple of simple things that you can do on your own to keep your HVAC running properly.

1. Filters - I do recommend you to change the filters frequently.

Dirty filters will be a cause of:
- poor air quality
- extra work for your HVAC

When I just moved to my house, I didn't know about that. And of course, I didn't change the filters frequently enough. One day, I noticed that the air inside the home was not that clean and fresh as it was before. Especially when I entered my house after a long morning run, I wanted to open all the windows to refresh the space. Later I realized that the problem was with the furnace and decided to check the filters.
“Oh wow!” that’s what I said to my wife, “the filters could be cleaner if I knew they had to be cleaned regularly.”
When I discussed this case with my friend, he said: "Think about the extra work that your HVAC had, order maintenance inspection."

Later I scheduled maintenance service for our heating and cooling system. It was a good idea! By the way, filter manufacturers recommend changing the filters every three months. But it all depends on how much dust is produced in your house. For example, if you have pets, or if you smoke, etc.

2. Second thing that I would definitely recommend is to upgrade the thermostat.

I was looking for a newly built house in GTA and found the one I live in. The Analog thermostat was already installed there. I never thought I would have to change it. But later, discussing the thermostats with my colleagues I realized that the programmable version was way better! And I'm ready to share my thoughts with you!

The older thermostats don't have the same precision as newer models. Because of that, my furnace worked harder than it was supposed to. Of course, I had the desired indoor temperature, but once I changed the thermostat, my furnace started working easier!
Think about it!

3. My strategy is to keep my home well insulated.

During the first winter at my house, I realized that the furnace was working properly, but it wasn’t that warm as it should have been. I started thinking about heat escaping through door frames, chimneys, windows. Unfortunately, that was the case.
As the heat was escaping, my furnace worked almost twice harder than it should have. So my bills were very high for no reason. I decided to keep the heat inside and insulated the home. I checked each window and sealed cracks between window frames and door frames. I hired professionals to seal leaks in my air ducts, and it helped to keep my home warmly during the cold winter months. Don't thank me! I wanted to share this life hack a long time ago!