Whether you own an electric furnace or an oil-fired or gas-fired model, it’s important to have your heating equipment professionally serviced at least once each year. Annual furnace maintenance primes heaters for the challenges of the cooling season. It enhances their efficiency, boosts indoor air quality, and gives HVAC technicians the chance to identify and correct developing problems. Read on to learn more about keeping the furnace in your Champaign, IL home in excellent condition.
Professional Furnace Maintenance and Your Manufacturer Warranty
When your furnace was initially installed, it likely came with a manufacturer warranty. Brand new furnaces that are correctly sized and professionally installed are covered by these agreements for approximately five years. Furnace manufacturer warranties pay for all repair issues resulting from defective parts or substandard manufacturing. When necessary, they even cover furnace replacements.
However, to continue enjoying these protections throughout the lifespan of your warranty, there are several conditions you must meet. These include performing regular filter changes, using your furnace according to manufacturer recommendations, and scheduling professional furnace maintenance once each year. If you neglect to have your furnace tuned up, your warranty could be voided. You’ll also face the risk of losing any furnace coverage that’s supplied by your home warranty or your home insurance plan. After all, warranty issuers and insurance companies aren’t obligated to pay for problems caused by general neglect.
The Best Time to Schedule Furnace Service
The best time to schedule furnace service is just before winter arrives. During these visits, our technicians check for and replace worn and damaged parts. They also clean all interior and exterior components and features, calibrate thermostats, and take other actions to optimize heater performance. If you have your furnace tuned up before turning it on for the winter season, you won’t have to deal with pervasive, burnt or dusty odors, short-term decreases in your IAQ, or erratic or noisy operation.
What to Know About Furnace Maintenance as Your Heater Ages
Furnaces typically last between 15 and 20 years. However, some furnace models might last up to 30 years. Early in your furnace’s life, annual maintenance and tune-up service should suffice. However, as your furnace nears the end of its lifespan, you may need to schedule twice-annual service. Having your aging furnace tuned up before the heating starts and maintained immediately after it ends will limit the likelihood of serious issues and ensure continued performance.
With twice-annual furnace service, you can have your heater cleaned, inspected, and tuned up ahead of the heating season, and cleaned, inspected, and repaired in spring. Your second furnace service can be scheduled on the same day as your annual AC tune-up service. Signing up for a preventative maintenance plan is a great way to limit your spending even as your furnace’s maintenance needs increase.
What to Expect During Professional Furnace Service
Our furnace maintenance services are streamlined to account for the needs and nuances of each furnace model. However, for all customers, our technicians use a comprehensive furnace maintenance checklist that includes:
- Inspecting all air intake grilles
- Inspecting the vent system
- Checking the furnace burner and flame sensor
- Looking for cracks or other signs of wear on furnace belts
- Inspecting and lubricating all moving parts
We also check for and resolve airflow obstructions, measure the amp draw of the blower motor, and test all safety controls.
These visits are also an opportunity for our clients to request and schedule important furnace upgrades or changes. For instance, if your indoor air is excessively dry, you can have a whole-house humidifier put in so that running your heater as-needed doesn’t leave residents with stuffy noses or nighttime nosebleeds. If your thermostat is located too close to a large window or a heat-generating appliance, our team can replace or relocate it upon request.
The Outstanding Benefits of Regular Furnace Tune-up and Maintenance Service
Properly maintaining your furnace extends its lifespan and lowers the likelihood of problems. Annual tune-up service is recommended by furnace manufacturers for optimizing efficiency, limiting ongoing wear, and ensuring that small issues never spiral out of control.
Using a properly maintained furnace is much safer than using one that’s been neglected. This is especially true in the case of fuel-burning appliances that produce harmful exhaust gases that must be vented outdoors. With yearly inspections, you can ensure that your furnace venting system is working as it should and that carbon monoxide (CO) and other dangerous exhaust gases aren’t entering your living space. Moreover, with a well-maintained furnace, you can heat your home all winter long while maintaining modest energy bills.
We’re committed to helping homeowners in Champaign, IL live comfortably. To this end, we provide furnace, boiler, heat pump, and air conditioner installation, maintenance, and repairs. We also offer emergency furnace service, zoning services, and an impressive range of cutting-edge indoor air quality solutions. To find out more, call Bash Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. now!
