Furnace

I will get into the fun stuff soon, but this time of year some of the most sustainable projects you can do is regular maintenance. Your furnace works had this time of year and it is essential to keep it running smoothly. One of the easiest projects is replacing or washing the filter regularly.

Most furnaces have a disposable filter where the cold air return attaches to the furnace. These are usually either fiberglass or paper and need to be replaced regularly. I will check mine monthly and have spares ready to be installed. It may not look dirty but if you tap it and see some dust it should be replaced. There are also electrostatic filters that can be washed on a regular basis. There will be instructions on cleaning it on the web and each is done in a different way. Please read about your specific filter and follow the directions.

This is also a good time to look around the furnace and listen to it running. You should not hear any rattling, squeaking, or other noises and it should be fairly quiet. My furnace is very old but I keep it maintained, when I have my annual inspection the tech is always impressed how the antique purrs along (which is why I have not replaced it yet). If you have a condensation pump this is a good time to clean that out to avoid mold accumulating. Humidifiers should be cleaned too, they work hard increasing the humidity of your home to keep it comfortable but can get gunked up if not maintained.

With a little maintenance your furnace should last many years. In my case I will need to replace it with a more energy efficient model, probably this year.

Next week I will have a more interesting project to do on your Sustainable Saturdays. It has something to do with spring!