Taking proper care of your furnace can extend its lifespan by several years, reduce heating bills, improve indoor air quality, and provide great peace of mind. Furnace maintenance is usually as simple as calling a technician and scheduling an appointment. But how often do you need to schedule a maintenance session for the heating system? Experts in Commerce City claim one to two maintenance sessions each year will suffice.
The Downfalls of Avoiding Furnace Maintenance
Foregoing regular furnace maintenance can result in several consequences. For example, leaving damaged parts on a furnace unfixed because you ignore maintenance sessions can result in the whole system breaking down, requiring costly repairs and replacements.
Gas furnaces that go without regular maintenance also increase the risk of soot, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide buildup in the home, all of which are harmful to breathe. With regular maintenance, though, a technician can easily spot broken and faulty parts on any heater and make necessary repairs before they harm your health.
When Is the Best Time for Furnace Maintenance?
One of the leading reasons for HVAC failure is a lack of regular maintenance. The best time for furnace maintenance is toward the end of the cooling season, right before cold weather starts to set in and you turn on the heater. Many HVAC maintenance clubs and programs include two HVAC maintenance sessions each year: one for the AC in the spring and one for the furnace in the fall.
Top Reasons to Invest in Furnace Maintenance
Increased longevity, energy savings, and a reduced risk of health problems all result from having the furnace inspected and serviced annually. This maintenance is as important as changing the oil on your automobile in terms of keeping your HVAC system running smoothly. You’ll prevent catastrophic failures and make it easier for the furnace to heat your home, which translates into major savings on heating bills.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas, making leaks difficult to detect, but technicians say it’s easy to identify these potentially deadly leaks during a routine furnace inspection. Exposure to carbon monoxide causes an estimated 500 annual deaths and 15,000 annual visits to emergency departments.
You’ll also want to invest in regular furnace maintenance to improve your home’s overall comfort. A furnace that goes without maintenance will likely produce hot and cold spots throughout the house. Not only do these hot and cold spots impact your comfort, but they also make it harder for the furnace to heat your home. The harder the heater has to work, the more likely it is to endure extreme wear and tear. Ultimately, it will result in you having to pay for premature repairs and replacements.
What Happens During Regular Furnace Maintenance?
Maintenance of a furnace entails inspecting its many moving parts and fixing, cleaning, testing, and greasing them as required. Among the items on our furnace maintenance checklist are:
- Cleaning out the vents and air intake grilles after a thorough inspection
- Looking for rust or other problems in the heat exchanger
- Cleaning the blower and giving it a thorough inspection
- Performing an amperage test on the fan motor
- Checking the wiring, tightening the connections, and fixing any damage as necessary
- Looking for cracks or other deterioration in the belts
- Taking a look at the thermostat and adjusting it if necessary
- Keeping the heating system’s moving components well-oiled
- Inspecting, cleaning, and changing the air filter
- Verifying and testing the system’s fail-safes and start-up procedures
Service for an oil or gas furnace also includes the following procedures:
- Checking for gas leaks in the lines
- Performing pre-use inspections of the gas pressure, burner, and pilot
- Testing the thermocouple
How Much Does Furnace Maintenance Cost?
When compared to the other heating services offered by HVAC technicians, furnace maintenance is rather cheap. While the precise cost of furnace maintenance may vary depending on the model you own, in most cases, a maintenance plan offers the greatest value. In addition to maintenance plans and programs, you can take advantage of special promotions to save on furnace maintenance and repairs.
Book Your Next Furnace Maintenance Session Now
Now that you know how important furnace maintenance is, it’s time to schedule an appointment. Here at Smith & Willis Heating & Air Conditioning, we specialize in furnace maintenance as well as AC repair and installation and indoor air quality improvement. Contact us today to book a furnace maintenance session for your home in Commerce City.
