As the sizzling summer begins to draw to a close, your furnace is probably still the furthest thing from your mind. This is unfortunate because now is the perfect time to get your furnace tuned up for winter. If you haven’t already scheduled an annual service, it’s time to get busy and get it booked. Every year, some people procrastinate, and they find themselves trying to fire up their furnace, only to find that isn’t working correctly when they need it most. Here are seven key reasons to get a furnace service carried out before the heating season begins.
- Preventative Intervention:
During a furnace tune up, a thorough inspection is carried out that is purposely designed to identify any smaller issues before they can develop into larger problems. When smaller, cheaper, preventative repairs and maintenance are carried out annually, it may be possible to avoid major breakdowns. An annual service can also give you advance warning about the remaining lifespan for your furnace, before it becomes inefficient and not cost effective to repair.
- Safety Concerns:
A furnace problem could mean more than discomfort in the winter; it can also be a safety issue. For example, a cracked heat exchanger could leak toxic carbon monoxide gas into your home affecting the health of you and your family. A service will detect this type of problem during your pre heating season furnace tune up.
- An Extensive Clean:
The furnace has not been in use all summer, and it’s probably covered in dust. It will need to be cleaned before the heat is turned on, as a burning dust odor can linger in your home for a long time. A good furnace tune up will include an extensive clean and lubrication for the moving parts.
4. Ensuring Pressure:
If you have low HVAC air pressure, the furnace will not heat your home as well as it could. A professional technician has access to tools that can measure the air pressure being produced by your heating system. If there are any pressure issues, they can be traced back to their source and fixed.
- Extending the Furnace Life:
An annual tune up for your furnace could add years of extra useful lifespan to your equipment. The average furnace is usually replaced every 15 years, but a well cared for furnace could last more than 20 years. When you consider the cost of a furnace, an extra five years of efficient operation for the relatively low price of an annual service seems like a very good deal.
- Energy Efficiency:
Almost all of the steps carried out by a technician during a furnace tune up increases the overall energy efficiency. This will lead to significant savings on your energy bills for the duration of the heating season.
- The Warranty:
If your furnace is relatively new, it may still be covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. It may be the case that the warranty only applies if professional maintenance is carried out regularly. An annual furnace tune up may ensure that you’re covered by the warranty if something goes wrong.