As temperatures start dropping and fuzzy socks and sweaters start coming out of storage, you’ve started to hear more about furnace tune-ups: Welcome to the heating season.
Just like flossing, annual doctor visits, and annual car maintenance (yes, we mean annual)—preventive maintenance, like furnace tune ups, are there to keep your heating system working for as long as possible. A poorly maintained hvac system can result in costly repairs, like a furnace that keeps shutting off, or even breaking down earlier than its expected 15-year lifespan. An annual tune-up is the solution.
Why Do I Need A Furnace Tune Up?
Prevent Furnace Repairs
Letting an HVAC professional take a look at your furnace annually will let them be able to catch signs of potentially expensive repairs before they become an issue.
They will check gas valves, connections, and parts to make sure they are working correctly, but they are also trained to see early warning signs of issues in aging parts and cracks or rust. This can let you get ahead of a problem that could potentially cost you a lot of money to repair a furnace vs. installing a new furnace.
Prevent Carbon Monoxide Leaks
Making sure that the combustion process of your furnace is safe and efficient is a top priority. Because furnaces burn fuel, cracks in the system can occur. A leak in your ventilation system, or cracks in your furnace, could release harmful gasses such as carbon monoxide into your home.
Carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless and can be lethal- if you don’t have a detector in your home, we recommend you install one in the event of carbon monoxide leaks. Early detection can save lives. All of our furnace tune up visits include gas leak detection for your safety.
Improve Furnace Functionality
It’s easy for dirt, dust and residue to build up in your furnace. On top of regular wear on parts, your furnace efficiency can begin to decline rapidly. This is also why it is also common, depending on the manufacturer, that part of your furnace warranty is to have it maintained by an HVAC technician. Just like anything else, the harder your parts have to work, the shorter they’ll live—keeping a regular eye on it will prevent you from a premature breakdown and deliver superior heating.
Reduce Energy Bills
We’re sure that headline got your attention- because higher energy bills roll in with the shorter days and a sense of dread at the expenses ahead. A clean, tuned-up furnace won’t struggle to run and won’t have unknown issues that are eating away at your energy bill.
You have no control over the cost of fuel or energy, but you do have some control over how much your furnace uses. Just because your home is heated- doesn’t mean it’s heating it in the best possible way. A tune-up can sometimes instantly improve energy efficiency by up to 30%.
Maintains Clean Air Quality
Especially recently, clean air quality has become an issue more prominent in our minds. With a tune up, your technician will replace your air filter and ensure you have clean air circulating through a clean filter.
You should be changing your furnace filters regularly, but a new air filter is part of a tune-up as well. They will also test your furnace and duct system connections and air vents to ensure nothing is clogged or blocked.
How Do Furnace Tune Ups Work?
Our furnace tune up process varies based on the make and model of your furnace, but generally, our furnace tune up includes:
- Heat exchanger: Check for a cracked heat exchanger, corrosion, separations, and other small flaws.
- The blower assembly
- The burner assembly
- Ignition system & sequence based on manufacturer’s specifications
- Wire connections: tighten if necessary
- The Motor
- Thermocouple and ignitor
- Flame sensor, pilot and gas pressure switches, and limit switches
- Thermostat
- Humidifier
- Check for any gas leaks
- Air intake and exhaust: check for and remove any blockages
We will then provide you with a full report containing information about any recommendations and minor adjustments made, along with details for any recommendations or attention required.
If you want to get your furnace inspected, we have a team of Calgary’s best HVAC technicians ready to make sure your heating system is working at its best. We also offer a maintenance plan to give you worry-free regular heating maintenance and discounts on repairs to make sure you don’t get stuck on a cold winter night.
Get A Furnace Tune Up With Knight
While we can never guarantee that you’ll have a winter free of furnace problems, we can guarantee our workmanship. We’ll give you the assurance that when we do your furnace tune up, we will fix any problems we find.
Be an early bird and request a quote for our fall furnace tune ups. You’ll be able to enjoy the fun parts of winter without worrying about coming back to a freezing cold home.
