An oil or natural gas forced air furnace is a critical component in a reliable home comfort system. Residential and light commercial furnaces are engineered to perform dependably through countless winter seasons, but they must be properly maintained to continue operating at peak efficiency. That's why it's important to tune up your furnace.
Qualified HVAC contractors provide comprehensive springtime tune-up services that incorporate a wide array of heating-specific enhancements. Regular furnace maintenance will provide many performance and operational benefits that extend over the equipment's lifetime.
Furnace Tune-up Services
Furnaces tend to remain unnoticed until they malfunction or operational costs unexpectedly rise. When a part fails due to stress or wear, the resulting repairs can be expensive and inconvenient.
A springtime tune-up will help ensure that your furnace delivers performance that meets the manufacturer’s guidelines and provides sufficient capacity to keep your home warm and comfortable. Factory-trained and NATE-certified technicians are dispatched to your home or office to identify small problems before they can affect system performance.
A furnace tune-up package incorporates a variety of vital services, including:
- Fine-tune the furnace burners for maximum efficiency
- Inspect the heat exchanger for signs of cracking
- Calibrate the blower assembly
- Inspect the flue pipe for loose connections
- Test and adjust the ignition system
- Check the thermostat and reset programmables if necessary
- Measure the gas pressure to the unit and adjust if needed
- Replace or clean furnace filters
- Lubricate motors, bearings and other moving parts
- Tighten loose electrical connections
- Verify the amp draw across the blower motor
Top 5 Benefits of Springtime Furnace Maintenance
There are many benefits to a spring tune-up, but these are the top 5:
- Contractor Availability: Furnaces tend to break down at the beginning of the winter season or during especially severe weather. There is nothing more frustrating than a broken furnace when the service provider is unavailable. Since HVAC contractors usually have a light spring backlog, they can service your furnace promptly and completely, which will reduce the chances of an unexpected malfunction. To help promote their business during the spring, many dealers offer special discounts for tune-up services.
- Better Comfort: When furnace problems remain unaddressed, they can dramatically reduce indoor comfort. Airflow obstructions and restrictions reduce capacity, which can result in drafts, high utility bills, stale air and poor humidity control.
- Lower HVAC Repair Costs: A furnace tune-up can help identify minor issues before they affect system performance. Worn parts force other components in the system to work harder and longer to meet the indoor load. Over time, this may cause your furnace appliance to fail completely which will cost a whole lot more than preventative maintenance.
- Improved Performance: As part of a total maintenance program, a spring tune-up will ensure your furnace is calibrated for maximum performance during the next winter season. Service technicians will also inspect your home for obvious structural deficiencies that waste energy and reduce comfort. This includes leaky ductwork, perimeter gaps and inadequate insulation.
- Extended Furnace Service Life: A furnace tune-up will optimize performance, which can help lower fuel costs and reduce accumulated runtime hours. A properly maintained furnace will provide better comfort over an extended lifecycle.
Spring is a Great Time to Service Your Furnace
Modern furnaces deliver exceptional levels of comfort, enhanced efficiency and low noise when compared to models manufactured just over a decade ago. Advances in technology have helped to improve indoor comfort while lowering fuel consumption. To help maintain efficiency and performance, an annual spring furnace tuneup is highly recommended. The shoulder season also means better contractor availability.
If you need to book a furnace maintenance service in Burlington or Oakville, contact us now.
