5 Steps to Better Indoor Air Quality

January 22, 2021

Poor indoor air quality is often to blame for a runny nose, itchy eyes, or asthma attacks. Indoor air pollutants come from many sources. Dust, pet dander and fur, pollen, mold spores, volatile organic compounds, and excess humidity are common types of indoor pollutants. Most homes don’t have all of these pollutants at once, but one or more of them could bother you or even threaten your health. No one is helpless in the face of these irritants. You can take steps to identify and correct your problems. A little vigilance and the right equipment can substantially improve your indoor air quality. Change Furnace Filters Regularly People with forced-air heat have filters between a furnace and its intake for circulating air. A furnace filter is an easy thing to forget because it’s out of sight and out of mind. The furnace filter grabs dust, pollen, and other debris circulating through your ducts. This helps to eliminate the dust that constantly infiltrates any home. The filter also serves to protect your heating system by preventing a troublesome buildup of dirt that will interfere with heating equipment operation. When filters go unchanged, air ceases to move easily through the system. Your furnace...

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How Often Should I Replace My Furnace?

January 10, 2021

The service life of your furnace is an important factor in budgeting for your home. After all, you can plan for the inevitable so you are not faced with a crisis. However, there is a big difference in planning for a replacement in 10 years versus 20 years. Learn how to determine the expected service life of your furnace, the variables affecting its life and how you can extend it. Manufacturer’s Goal Service Life All manufacturers have a goal in mind for how long their furnaces will last given good operating conditions and proper maintenance. These time frames are dependent on many variables and expressed as an average among all installed units. In addition to external variables, you have to consider the unit itself and the parts used within it. These parts make the saying true that you get what you pay for, even with furnaces. That does not mean that the most expensive units will last twice as long as the cheapest. However, it may be the difference between a system lasting 10 years versus 15 years. When properly maintained, forced air and high-efficiency condensing gas furnaces have an average service life of 15 to 20 years. Kerosene furnaces...

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