How Often Should a Furnace Be Tuned?
The short answer to this question is once a year. Furnace manufacturers advise that to avoid major breakdowns, leading to major repairs, annual furnace inspection inspection. Contacting a heating contractor and scheduling a furnace tune-up can feel like an inconvenience, especially if you are not aware of any particular issues with your unit. However, as a homeowner, it is important to have regular furnace maintenance service performed on a yearly basis. At Comfort By Design, our furnace tune up service technicians can make sure your furnace is tuned and ready to perform at optimum efficiency for the upcoming cold winter months. In addition, we will be sure to check the air filter, providing a furnace cleaning if necessary so your home has good indoor air quality.
Having your furnace checked and tuned once a year – preferable late summer or very early fall – provides several benefits. These include:
Reducing Your Energy Bill
Have you noticed higher monthly energy bills? If your furnace is poorly maintained, it will likely have to work harder over time to heat your home. This adds stress and strain to your unit and reduces its efficiency. With a furnace tune-up, you can upgrade the energy efficiency of the unit – often as much as 30%. This makes heating your spaces much easier and it reduces your energy costs.
Preventing Early Furnace Breakdown
Scheduling an annual furnace tune-up is a simple way to help prevent potential unit breakdowns down the road. Most tune-ups consist of a system cleanup, ensuring proper connections, and lubricating parts. An HVAC technician will also check for any other potential problems, such as weak pilot lights or cracked heat exchangers.With annual maintenance, you can help ensure issues such as loose connections, dirty gas valves, or failing parts are addressed before they cause bigger problems. Lack of maintenance will only cause bigger problems, or in severe cases, a furnace replacement.
Preventing Carbon Monoxide Leaks
Even though many furnaces have systems that protect the occupants of a home from carbon monoxide leaks, they can still occur. Cracked heat exchangers are the most common cause of carbon monoxide leaks from a furnace. Knowledgeable and experienced HVAC technicians are trained to diagnose cracked heat exchangers during a furnace check and tune-up. They can detect any other issues that may result in a carbon monoxide leak as well.
Preserving Your Furnace Warranty
By and large, furnace warranties require a licensed HVAC contractor to install and maintain an HVAC unit. Having an annual furnace tune-up helps ensure you remain compliant with your furnace warranty and keeps it in optimum working condition.
For information about the furnace tune up services we offer at Comfort By Design or to set up a maintenance appointment, call us today at 719.374.1776 or reach us through our contact form.
