Your Furnace Works Harder Than You Might Think!

 

What's your Furnace Mileage? 

Based on the average winter degree-days in our area, the average furnace is firing approximately 4268 hours each year.

The average car is driven 15,000 miles in that same year, which averages 540 hours of use.

Based on these estimates, your furnace accumulates an average of 118,555 “furnace miles” each year. Over time this reveals some startling information about just how much work we have come to expect from our furnaces. By comparing furnace run times to car miles:

  • 4,268 hrs/1 year 118,555 miles
  • 29,876 hrs/7 years 829,885 miles
  • 42,680 hrs/10 years 1,185,223 miles
  • 64,020 hrs/15 years 1,777,835 miles

We average 1.6 to 1.8 million miles on our furnace over its expected life span. When is the last time you were able to get 1.6 million miles and 15 years of use from your car?

Why do we expect equipment that costs a lot less than our car to deliver over ten times the use? This is what we have come to expect from our heating equipment, often without the regular maintenance or service we give the car. A good place to start understanding its condition is with a furnace inspection by a qualified professional. And, if your furnace is over 15 years old, you may want to prepare for its eventual replacement. Click here to see some of the top options available.

Hastening the demise? Your HVAC system will work overtime, burning up those miles faster, trying to heat or cool rooms via faulty ductwork. So, your ductwork needs maintenance the same as your furnace. Washington Energy Services has a routine maintence program available. Click here for more info.

Over time, ducts can sag or collapse. Vermin and other animals can chew holes in ductwork. Ducts can also leak or even come apart at the seams. When this happens, any air that should be going to the rooms in your home is instead being wasted by ending up in your attic, your walls, or under your house. When this happens, it's like pouring money down the drain. If duct tape was used on your ductwork originally, it's best to have it replaced with aluminum or foil tape. Traditional duct tape deteriorates quickly. Metal seams should be cleaned and then sealed with duct mastic, which doesn't crack. It creates a permanent seal.

To keep your HVAC system in top working order, your ductwork should be checked at least every 5 years by an experienced technician. Washington Energy Services can test your ductwork for leakage with a Duct Blaster test. Any sagging ductwork should be secured. Breaks should be repaired with aluminum tape - not duct tape. Also, there should be no kinks in any of the ducts or anything else that could restrict air flow. Click here for a free estimate.