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.
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