Snowfall brings a chill to the air, particularly for homeowners who haven’t maintained their furnaces for over a year. Poor performing furnaces can bring unneeded stress as the cold season approaches. In the Colorado climate, it is essential to be on top of your precious heat source as winter arrives. The best way for preparing for cold weather is to have your furnace regularly serviced to keep your family comfortable and warm during winter this year.
WHY DOES MY HEATING SYSTEM NEED MAINTENANCE?
To address this topic, consider what occurs when you fail to maintain your furnace. Dust and particles accumulate in the unit due to a lack of cleaning. As it runs, these particles harm the components, requiring you to contact an HVAC expert for repairs. Filters get clogged with pollutants over time. This inhibits their ability to remove contaminants from the interior air, lowering the quality of your breathable air.
Perhaps, the most serious concern is that your furnace is spewing carbon monoxide gas into your house. This gas, which has no odor or taste and is extremely difficult to detect, can cause major health issues; signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include disorientation and vomiting. When an HVAC professional comes to service your heating system, they will look for any flaws that might be causing this problem.
The third reason for furnace maintenance is it keeps your system running longer. A new furnace costs thousands of dollars on average. If you do not get the system examined every year, it could fail considerably sooner. Ultimately, poor maintenance will result in a freezing house in the heart of winter—the last thing you would want to happen!
BENEFITS OF FURNACE MAINTENANCE
Having your heating system serviced annually provides other advantages, such as:
- Less chance of system failure: No homeowner wants their furnace to fail in the middle of winter. A yearly inspection by a competent specialist might help your furnace last the cold season.
- Enhanced energy efficiency: A HVAC tune-up will make your furnace more efficient, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars over the course of the winter.
- Better heating performance: What’s the use of having a furnace if it isn’t going to heat your Colorado Springs home properly? A furnace tune-up can eliminate uneven heating and other performance-related issues.
- Longer system lifespan: Routine servicing may extend the life of your furnace, postponing the need for furnace replacement.
WHEN SHOULD I SCHEDULE FURNACE MAINTENANCE?
Most HVAC professionals recommend that your furnace be serviced at least once a year. Some individuals put off servicing until it’s too late—if you fail to go to the dentist every six months, your minor cavity might grow into a larger problem. The same is true for furnace servicing; it keeps your system running effectively and for a longer time frame. Preventative maintenance isn’t free but saves you from more serious repercussions.
Although the cost of maintenance may deter some people, consider this: the cost of servicing pays for itself when you struggle with fewer HVAC issues and longer shelf life. You will enjoy lower utility expenses since the tune-up will enhance your system’s energy efficiency.
It’s best to get your furnace tuned up before the initial cold evenings of late fall and winter when you will need to switch on your system for the first time. Having a skilled technician evaluate your furnace before you switch it on allows them to detect any problems before they worsen.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN A FURNACE MAINTENANCE VISIT?
Our maintenance specialists will use a checklist to ensure that all critical aspects are covered. Here are some of the things you should expect from a visit from our experts at Eagle Heating & Cooling during a standard furnace checkup visit:
- We will examine the venting system for obstructions and correct slope. This involves a visual examination, a draft inspection, and a combustion test to detect carbon monoxide and other critical data. This step is critical because it’s the only factor preventing your furnace from poisoning your home.
- Check the heat exchanger.
Test the operation of all safety switches. This step is critical because it prevents your furnace from overheating and causing a fire. - Check the ignition and flame of your burners.
- Examine all wiring for secure connections and corrosion.
- Examine the combustion blower for grinding sounds, amp draw, and obstructions.
- Check your main blower’s cleanliness, capacitor values, and amp draws.
- Check the installation and cleanliness of your filter.
- Confirm gas pressures.
HOW MUCH DOES FURNACE MAINTENANCE COST?
Maintenance costs, like most other parts of furnace servicing, are determined by the age of your unit and how well it has been maintained in the past. If you’re using a newer unit and have been following up with yearly or bi-annual maintenance, you may just have to spend anywhere from $50-$100. However, if you overuse your furnace and take years between visits, you might end up paying more than $300.
When conducted by a trained HVAC professional, the operation will only take about an hour. Obviously, if your Colorado Springs HVAC technician discovers damage or concludes that particular elements of your AC require repair, the cost may increase.
WHY CHOOSE EAGLE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING FOR YOUR HEATING?
We have been assisting generations of Colorado Springs households with their heating and cooling requirements since 1973. Not only are our technicians industry-certified, but they also have years of expertise in repairing and servicing furnaces. Trust us to make your furnace ready for the next cold winter. Our crew is accessible for repairs and maintenance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Are you prepared to have your furnace serviced? Contact us for more details on our HVAC services.
