With the rising cost of running a home, many consumers are adopting an “ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude. Although this may be a cost-saving measure for some aspects of running your home, when it comes to your heating system, it could be a costly mistake. Postponing or cancelling your heating maintenance is likely to cost you far more money in the long run when the system does break down. You may also find that your system uses more energy, increasing your utility bills.

There are two aspects of heating maintenance that can help to avoid these additional costs and actually save you money.

Addressing Progressive Wear and Tear:

Although heating systems are designed to have a long lifespan, not all the components have this extended life expectancy. In fact, your heating system may not show warning signs before it breaks down. Progressive wear and tear can trigger a number of heating issues, and the indicators may only be apparent to experienced technicians who can correctly interpret these warnings.

Progressive wear and tear is the underlying cause of almost every type of heating system repair issue. It refers to the slow degradation of the heating system components over the years of continued regular use. Wear and tear cannot be stopped, but routine maintenance can mitigate it. An experienced technician has the knowledge to check the components of your system and replace them before they completely break down. Although this may seem like an unnecessary additional cost, it can prevent cascade failure.

What is Cascade Failure?

The components of your heating system are designed to work in harmony for optimum performance. This reliance means that if one or more components fail, the entire system can be affected. For example, although an air filter is considered to be a minor component, if it becomes clogged, heat can become trapped in the furnace, and that could trigger a complete system failure. Fan belts, fixings and other minor components can have a massive impact on critical components such as air handlers, compressors and other vital systems. Unfortunately, you cannot treat the parts of your system as if they are isolated. If one component breaks, it could trigger cascade failure that will prevent the entire system from functioning properly.

Cascade failure doesn’t need to be a dramatic breakdown. It can also mean that the system is under greater strain and gradually becoming more and more inefficient. This slower rate of failure means that your energy usage and bills would increase for no apparent reason.

Regular maintenance provides an opportunity to repair or replace any minor components before they can impact the entire system. A trained and experienced technician has the knowledge to determine if a component should be replaced and minimize the risk of failure or breakdown. Replacing one component could avoid the additional strain on the system and a cascade failure that would prompt a hefty repair bill in the future. By lessening the likelihood of system failure and ensuring that you remain comfortably warm during the colder winter months (which have not been uncommon this year in LA and the Valley), regular heating maintenance is sure to pay for itself in no time at all.