What is furnace maintenance?
Furnace maintenance is a service offered by more and more HVAC/ furnace companies to homeowners who have furnaces. This type of service ensures that your furnace is running smoothly, safely, and as efficiently as possible. In addition to keeping your furnace in good working order, the annual furnace maintenance appointment will provide you with peace of mind.
If your furnace ever goes down when it’s extremely cold outside there is a service person who can meet you at the location of your home to fix the issue. This means you won’t have to wait until spring or summer- that could be months away- to get help with a broken furnace during the winter months when it’s the most important for heating!
Benefits of Furnace Maintenance
There are many benefits to having regular furnace maintenance, including:
- Greatly reducing your risk of a house fire:
A regular furnace inspection will look for carbon build-up and gas leaks which could lead to a fiery disaster in your home when the furnace malfunctions.
- Extending the life of your equipment:
Catching problems before they get out of hand will save you money in the long run.
- Keeping your furnace running smooth and efficient:
A furnace inspection can keep your system running smoothly to heat your home efficiently, which also saves on energy bills.
Saving money on repairs:
Catching common problems early means less costly, smaller repairs in the future.
Heading off expensive and unnecessary furnace replacement:
A little bit of preventative care can save you a lot of money.
Having a clean, healthy home:
A regular furnace maintenance appointment means your furnace is running at maximum efficiency which keeps indoor air pollutants to a minimum.
Having a comfortable home:
A furnace inspection is a great way to make sure your furnace is working as it should be, making sure you have maximum comfort in your own home no matter the weather outside.
Save on your energy bills:
Energy bills can be costly and a well-maintained furnace will keep you from overspending on energy costs.
What to expect from a furnace maintenance appointment?
Furnace maintenance or furnace tune-up includes several things, including:
- Checking of your furnace filter
- Checking all gas valves for leaks
- A visual inspection of the system
- Cleaning or replacing a dirty filter
- Checking all safety switches
- Cleaning of the burners
- A complete combustion analysis to check the efficiency
- Checking pilot lights and ignition systems
- Verifying furnace draft or exhaust for proper performance
- A combustion efficiency check
- Inspecting the heat exchanger and blower motor
- Cleaning of all accessible parts of the system
Regular furnace maintenance is a great idea for any homeowner. The benefits are many and the cost is minimal (especially when compared to potential damage to your home, health issues, or high energy bills). Regular furnace maintenance should be scheduled every year to ensure your family’s home is safe, healthy, and comfortable.
Furnace maintenance vs. furnace repair, which should I choose?
If you are noticing any of the following signs, it is recommended to schedule an appointment for furnace repair services:
- The unit is not turning on
- The furnace is making strange noises
- There is a gas leak
- Energy bills have increased dramatically in the past few months
- The unit is producing uneven heat
In any of the above cases, you should schedule an appointment with a professional to have your furnace repaired. A furnace repair can be costly and in some cases, a contractor may recommend a complete replacement. This will depend on the age of your furnace, how much work needs to be done, and other factors.
Furnace maintenance is recommended for yearly cleaning and inspection of furnace components and will help to ensure your family stays safe and healthy this winter, as well as the coming years. A regular furnace maintenance appointment may cost a bit more than an emergency repair but it is far more cost-effective in the long run.
What are the factors that render a furnace repair or furnace maintenance useless?
Regular furnace repairs and furnace maintenance are recommended each year to ensure the safety, health, and comfort of your family. However, certain factors can render regular service appointments useless:
- Improper installation
- Inadequate maintenance throughout the years
- Inadequate ventilation
- Chemical contamination of the air entering your furnace
If you are experiencing any of the above factors it is recommended to have your heating system completely replaced. A new furnace installation by a professional will assure proper safety, health, comfort, and efficiency for you and your family.
Why should I choose furnace maintenance this year over next year?
The majority of heating system breakdowns happen during the winter months, so you want to ensure that your furnace is properly serviced and ready for cold days ahead. The earlier you bring in your equipment for servicing, the better positioned you are to avoid expensive and potential breakdowns.
Also, with a scheduled service agreement in place, you can save money because there is no emergency service fee. If you have repair work performed outside of your plan terms, any trip charge or phone diagnosis fee is due immediately.
Another good reason to have your system serviced yearly is that some manufacturers require their products to be serviced before they’ll guarantee the warranty coverage. Having your equipment maintained according to factory-recommended schedules also helps ensure optimal performance, longer life expectancy, and lower operating costs.
Whether you require one-time service or a planned service agreement, ensure to contact one of the reputed HVAC technicians who are ready to assist you at any time.
