Temperatures are starting to drop and homeowners are starting to think about their heating systems. How well is yours working? How much are you paying for its use each month? Do you have any repair needs to address?
We hope as well that you’ve considered the single most important step you should be taking toward furnace care this season—scheduling maintenance!
Your maintenance tune-ups are the best way to keep your heating operating as effectively and efficiently as possible for as long as possible while avoiding up to 85% of the repair needs it may ever need in its lifespan. Keep reading as we go over why it’s so vital to have this service done and how you’ll benefit.
The Advantages of Regular Maintenance
We really want to stress one word in particular here: “regular.” If you’re tuning-up a furnace or boiler, it should be done once a year to fully enjoy the benefits that maintenance brings. Also if you have a heat pump system, it should be maintained twice a year.
Read on as we uncover some of the main advantages of staying up to date on your professional heating maintenance.
1. Improved Safety: One of the main jobs our HVAC techs do during your heating tune-up appointment I check to ensure your system is operating safely and doesn’t have any big repair needs.
This is particularly important if you have a gas-powered heating system. Sure, these systems aren’t inherently dangerous. However, if you skip maintenance on a regular basis then you are increasing the risk of harmful gas and carbon monoxide exposure in your living space.
2. Retain Energy Efficiency: It doesn’t matter what kind of heating system you have, it will begin losing energy efficiency the longer it goes without maintenance. This drop can be steep a lot quicker than you expect and can result in a significant efficiency drop.
But with regular heating system maintenance, your furnace or heat pump can retain up to 95% of the efficiency rating it had upon manufacturing, throughout its entire service life.
3. Fewer Repair Needs: As we mentioned above, routine heating maintenance helps you avoid repairs—in fact most repair needs can be prevented if you stay on top of your regular maintenance appointments. What happens when you skip your tune-ups is that a small issue can turn into a much bigger one, quickly leading to a complete heater breakdown.
For instance, let’s say your motor bearings are wearing down and running out of lubrication. This is a very simple fix for our team, and is something we will catch during a tune-up. However, if you skip that tune-up, and you don’t hear any sign of metal on metal, then this problem can go on until the motor burns out and leads to a failed furnace.
Longer System Service Life: Replacing a furnace, boiler, or heat pump years before you expected to is an expense that nobody wants. After all, you want to receive the most years possible from your heater, right? Well if you don’t have the system professionally and regularly maintained, it can fail years earlier than it is meant to.
A well-cared-for heater can last 10-15 years, depending on a number of factors but definitely never excluding maintenance!
At Dalton Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, Electric and Fireplaces, Inc., your comfort is our promise! To set up an appointment, give us a call at the number above, email customerservice@daltonphc.com or schedule an appointment online for professional furnace repair in Waterloo, IA and more.