Last year, I was rather surprised when I had some problems with the furnace last Winter season. It seemed as if the heater itself was running non stop, & yet my house felt slightly frigid cold. There were cold spots in multiple rooms, & I kept turning up the thermostat control unit. My bi-weekly bill was much higher than it usually is. Plus, I noticed a good deal of airborne dust & an unpleasant musty smell. I finally hired a local Heating & Air Conditioning corporation to take a look at the furnace. He informed me that the problem was a result of leaks in the duct system. While the furnace is relatively new, the ductwork is absolutely many years old. I’d never even considered having the duct work maintained, cleaned or diagnosed in anyway. Because it’s hidden in the walls, ceilings & crawl spaces, I totally forgot about it. Small holes in the ducts were allowing the heated air to escape, & dragging in polluted outside air. The flaws in the duct work were contaminating indoor air conditions, impacting comfort, & placing needless strain on the furnace. It was not an entirely good situation at all in the long run. But hey, that’s how life is sometimes you know?