We encourage all owners of heating systems to keep a close eye on their heating bill. By monitoring your monthly spending, you’ll be able to prevent costly repair issues and monitor your usage habits. Most of all, you’ll be able to spot an upward trend that indicates the system is becoming gradually less efficient.
If you’re noticing that your system is becoming inefficient, here’s what you can do to get to the root of the issue.
Consider the Age of the Unit
Sometimes, you just can’t help it if your system is losing efficiency. That could be the case if the system is starting to show its age. At this point, no amount of repairs or maintenance will be able to prevent the downward trend of efficiency. More repairs will only increase your total spending—replacing the heater would easily become the most cost-effective choice.
Depending on which heating system you’re using, you should only expect it to last between 10 and 20 years. If it’s past the 10-year mark and your efficiency is dropping, it could be time to consider a replacement.
Compare With Your Neighbor’s Bills
Rather than finding out your heater is inefficient directly through the heating bill, you might find out by learning that other people are paying less than you! There are certainly many other factors involved, such as the size of the homes, the type of heaters, and their usage habits. However, a significant difference in pricing could be an indicator that you need to assess your own system.
A likely explanation for such a thing could be that your furnace is no longer as efficient as those on the market today. If you never compare your heating bill to anyone else’s, you might never realize that you’re paying for costs that were normal five years ago.
If you suspect that your furnace has fallen too far behind the trends, a definite way to have your concerns alleviated is by asking for help from an expert at home heating services in Sacramento, CA. They can tell you with certainty where your heater falls on that spectrum.
Schedule Maintenance
If your heater is still fairly new, or if you deliberately bought an efficient unit, then the issue might be cleared up with a quick maintenance check. A small issue with the wrong part could be enough to lower efficiency. For example:
- Blower motor: A damaged blower motor in a furnace could be restricting air flow. That means less hot air in the home, so your furnace will be forced to run longer than necessary.
- Refrigerant leak: In the case of heat pumps, inefficiency and serious damage can occur if the refrigerant lines are leaking. These often begin as pinhole leaks and gradually expand with time.
- Duct leaks: Particularly deceptive since this issue can exist deep in the ducts. If your ducts have a leak or hole, escaping air can become a major factor contributing to inefficiency.