The Major Benefits of Getting an Annual Furnace Tune-Up
The colder months have come around again, and you’re ready to fire up your furnace for the first time since last winter. How certain are you that when you turn that thermostat up, the heating system is going to turn on and start doing its job?
Many of us tend to forget all about the furnace in our home once warm weather rolls around, but the truth is that your heating system’s regular maintenance can be extremely beneficial to you in both the short and long term. With an annual furnace tune-up, you’ll never be uncertain whether or not your heating system is going to turn on when you need it.
Spending money to maintain a heating system that is already working may seem wasteful to you at first, but in the long run, you’re bound to save money and extend the lifespan of your unit by scheduling an annual furnace tune-up. A neglected furnace will inevitably become less effective at heating your home, more detrimental to your energy bill, and more likely to need costly repairs in the future.
What Does an Annual Furnace Tune-Up Entail?
When you schedule an annual furnace tune-up with your local HVAC repair company, a certified HVAC professional will come to your house and run a diagnostic test on your heating system and then check a number of individual parts to ensure that they’re working properly and are not damaged or in need of adjustment.
A thorough annual furnace tune-up includes the following:
- Cleaning both the exterior and the interior of the furnace
- Inspecting and cleaning the burner
- Exhaust system test
- Ignition system test
- System and ductwork checked for leaks and tears
- System controls tested and verified
- Heat exchanger inspected
- Test for unusually high levels of carbon monoxide
- Thermostat inspected and calibrated
- Electrical connections tightened and secured
- Air filter changed
- Bearings and other mechanical parts lubricated
- Condensate drain inspected
- Fan belt tension checked and adjusted
If the technician finds any issues with your heating system during an annual furnace tune-up, they can fix them before any major issues occur. The technician will replace worn out or damaged parts with brand new ones, clean out vents and filters, and lubricate all the mechanical parts.
If the HVAC technician doesn’t find anything, then at the very least, they will leave your furnace running better and burning fuel more efficiently than before. This means your house can remain comfortably warm through the winter months without your energy bill going through the roof.
What Are the Benefits of an Annual Furnace Tune-Up?
Aside from assuring you that your heating system won’t break down on the coldest night of the year, there are a number of good reasons why you should have your furnace regularly maintained by a professional HVAC repair service.
They Can Save You Money on Costly Repairs
Any time you can save some cash on home repairs, that’s a win for you, but paying an HVAC company to come to check out your heating system every single year, whether it’s in need of repairs or not, doesn’t exactly sound like the thriftiest thing to do, does it? Well, it may seem that way, but regular furnace maintenance will almost always save you money in the long run.
Your annual furnace tune-up won’t come free, but it will help you catch small issues well before they can grow into big ones. In other words, you pay a little now, so you don’t have to pay a whole lot later on. Neglecting your heating system for prolonged periods of time can lead to serious issues that will most likely be far more expensive than your annual maintenance.
They Will Lower Your Energy Bill
It’s simple: the smoother your heating system runs, the less energy it takes to keep your house warm. And the less energy it takes to keep your house warm, the lower your energy bill is going to be.
Regular maintenance to your furnace ensures that it runs as efficiently as possible by identifying and eliminating unnecessary obstacles such as a dirty air filter, dirty burners, leaky ductwork, or clogged vents. With those issues out of the way, keeping your house warm won’t cost you a penny more than it needs to.
They Can Prevent Untimely Breakdowns
You can’t always predict when something is going to go wrong with your home but scheduling an annual furnace tune-up can go a long way to preventing an unforeseen catastrophe with your heating system. Regular tune-ups will help catch all the various little problems that can arise with your furnaces, such as damaged or worn-out parts, dirty vents and valves, and loose electrical connections so that your HVAC technician can fix them before they cause a bigger problem at a much worse time.
They Help Maintain Good Air Quality in Your Home
When your licensed HVAC technician changes the air filters in your heating system, they remove a ton of dirt, dust, and other debris from the air in your home. Some of the built-up debris in overused air filters will get pulled along by the air moving through your house’s heating system. That hot air then gets kicked out into your home, potentially causing air quality issues that can especially affect those who suffer from asthma, allergies, and other respiratory illnesses.
Regular furnace maintenance ensures that the air in your home is not bombarded by dirt, dust, and debris every time you turn the thermostat up.
They Can Prevent Carbon Monoxide Leaks
Deadly carbon monoxide is a byproduct of heating your home. The dangerous gas is contained mostly in the heat exchanger and safely vented out of your house, provided the exhaust system is working properly. However, if the heat exchanger or flue pipes are cracked, carbon monoxide can potentially leak into your home and pose an extremely serious hazard to you and your family’s health.
An annual furnace tune-up will always involve checking for the possibility of carbon monoxide leaks. This is done by checking the heat exchanger and flue pipe for cracks, as well as testing the area with a carbon monoxide detector.
They Can Extend the Lifespan of Your Furnace
Most furnaces last somewhere between 15 and 20 years. Having your furnace regularly maintained will help its lifespan end up on the longer side of that estimate. When your heating system is well-maintained, there’s less strain required for it to continue doing its job. Less strain means a longer lifespan.
They May Be Necessary to Maintain Your Warranty
If you have a manufacturer’s warranty on your furnace, failing to regularly maintain your heating system may void the agreement. Most warranties require that you keep your furnace in good condition in order for the manufacturer to honor them. Scheduling an annual furnace tune-up is an easy way to do that.
A good HVAC company will keep records of your annual tune-ups so that you can reach out to them for ample evidence when the manufacturer requests proof of maintenance.
What Can You Do to Maintain Your Furnace Between Annual Tune-Ups?
Before you go and Google “HVAC repair near me” to schedule your annual furnace tune-up, take a look at this list of things you can do right now to make sure your heating system is well-maintained and running smoothly.
Check the Air Filter
You already know how a dirty air filter makes your heating system work harder and compromises the air quality in your home. It’s easy enough to check yours, and replace it if you need to, so have a look at it. If it hasn’t been changed in over three months, don’t even bother checking; just replace it now.
Make Sure Your Vents Are Not Blocked
If any of the vents in your home are being blocked by boxes, furniture, or other household items, be sure to clear the area out. Blocked vents make your heating system work harder and less efficiently.
Clean Your Vents and Ducts
You don’t need to be a certified HVAC professional to spot a filthy vent or duct. Cleaning these areas out regularly will help your heating system run as efficiently as possible and will maintain the good air quality in your home.
Check the Pilot Light
Your furnace’s pilot light should be burning blue. If it’s burning yellow, or any other color for that matter, that means there’s most likely a clog in the air intake valve. This is likely not an issue you can fix yourself, but you can very easily spot it so that you know when to call a certified HVAC professional.
Check for Fire Hazards
Keep the area surrounding your furnace free of items that could potentially cause a fire. Clothing, boxes, paper goods, wooden items, paint, gas cans, or anything else that may potentially be flammable should be removed from the vicinity.
Schedule Your Annual Furnace Tune-Up with Premier HVAC Services Today
Now that you know all the various benefits of having your heating system regularly maintained by a certified HVAC professional, give Premier HVAC Services a call at (469)720-4593 or contact us online to schedule your annual furnace tune-up appointment today!