A furnace is a big investment for a homeowner, and there are many factors to consider when determining what type of furnace to buy and when repairs and maintenance should be done. Some myths about furnaces can cause headaches and financial trouble for homeowners. Knowing the facts about heating with a furnace can hep you make the best decisions about heating in your home. Here are some common myths about furnaces that many homeowners believe. 

My furnace is working, so I have plenty of time to look for a new one. 

This myth can really come back to hurt you because the truth is that if your furnace is more than about 15 years old, you should probably have a plan for buying a new one soon. 

Unfortunately many people believe that their furnaces are working just fine only to have them suddenly stop working in the dead of winter. Getting a furnace repair person to appear quickly in cold weather can be almost impossible, and you may be forced to spend too much money on a new furnace because you simply don't have time to shop around and compare prices. 

Have an older furnace checked each year to avoid potential disasters. 

I can trust my builder to choose a furnace.

If you are having a home built, you should be looking over the builder's shoulder when it comes to choosing a furnace. Your builder might simply choose the cheapest furnace available, leaving you with the consequences. Be sure to look into the reliability and efficiency of different furnaces and work with your builder to choose a furnace installation that will work best in your home. 

A bigger furnace is a better choice. 

A bigger furnace is not always going to perform better in your home. In fact, Consumer Reports says that many homes have a furnace that is too big, and that costs the homeowner extra money in unnecessary energy use. 

The service contract covers all repairs. 

Check your service policy carefully before committing yourself to one company when it comes to furnace repairs. Most service plans seem comprehensive because they cover minor problems like valves and motors that are inexpensive to replace. They may not cover the heat exchanger, which is the part most likely to fail and is also very expensive. 

Closing vents will increase the efficiency of a furnace.

This myth is based on the idea that each vent that is closed will decrease the amount of warm air that must be pushed through the house. The fact is that a home heating system is designed to balance the amount of air that is distributed through the home. Closing a vent will not cause the furnace to work less. In fact, the furnace may actually have to work harder because closing vents causes the system to go off balance. 

Setting my thermostat higher will case the furnace to heat my home faster. 

Many people think that setting the thermostat to a higher temperature will cause the furnace to kick into high gear and spew heat at at faster rate. The rate that a furnace heats your home has nothing to do with the temperature where you set your thermostat. In most cases, your home will simply get warmer than you want it, and you will end up turning down the heat. When that happens, you have just wasted energy. 

There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding a heating system run with a furnace. Save yourself stress and money by learning the facts about furnaces and what you need to do in order to keep yours running efficiently. 

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