Professional Furnace Tune-Up Services in Middle, TN and Surrounding Areas
Having your furnace serviced regularly is just as important as having your car’s oil changed on schedule. Without a regular check-up, furnace parts will wear out faster, get dirty, lose its efficiency, and can lead to an unanticipated breakdown. Whether your furnace makes strange noises or runs fine, a tune-up will help keep you and your family safe and warm throughout the winter.
What does a furnace tune-up cover?
Sudden malfunctions cause inconveniences for a family who uses the furnace to maintain moderate temperature or relies on the heat during winters. When it is tuned up, the expert examines all its parts to see if there is anything that needs to be repaired or replaced. Such inspections help to prevent the furnace from having recurring problems, breakdowns, and frequent replacements. This will allow you to save money on energy costs and keep your family warm during the winter season.
During a tune-up, a professional will:
- test the safety and limit switches
- pilot system and/or electrical components
- lubricate the mechanical parts
- clean the major components of the furnace
- check for system leaks and tears or gaps in the ductwork
- recalibrate the thermostat
- test the heating elements
Why is a tune-up necessary?
When all the parts inside the furnace are thoroughly cleaned this does more than help it to look good. A clean furnace runs far more efficiently than one that is dirty. Your system’s efficiency will improve greatly after the airflow filter has been replaced and the coils cleaned, which will save you money on your energy bills.
One critical step in a furnace tune-up is having the pilot system tested. When the burning of its fuel is incomplete, this can result in a dangerous level of carbon monoxide in the home. A certified professional can let you know if your furnace is at risk of emitting this dangerous gas.
Not only can tune-up save people money on the energy bills they can also save people money on costly repairs. Skimping on preventive maintenance can result in unnecessary repair bills. Parts that are dirty or ineffective can make the furnace double its efforts and thus wear it out faster. Some parts may be too expensive to repair and the entire unit may have to be replaced.
Don’t wait until winter sets in to call in a professional to inspect and service your furnace. When you maintain them properly, furnaces can give you 15-20 years of use. Depending on how frequently it is used in the home and other factors in its environment as well, some of them can even be used up to 30 to 40 years.
Some furnace warranties may become invalid if the homeowner fails to comply with the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance schedule. Most companies undertake the process of repair or replace a unit under warranty, only if it has undergone all check-ups scheduled previously. Even though your furnace may now run smoothly, a tune-up might end up saving you thousands of dollars if something suddenly goes wrong.
How should homeowners maintain their furnaces between tune-ups?
In most cases, a furnace doesn’t require a lot of maintenance between tune-ups, unless something breaks down or needs to be repaired. There are a few things you can do to prevent problems between scheduled maintenance calls and help extend the useful life of your furnace.
One of the ways you can maintain an efficient furnace is to change the air filter regularly. Dirty filters impede airflow and make the furnace work harder to produce the same level of heating. It’s recommended that you change your air filter at least once every three months, especially if you have pets. Furnace filters not only improve operational efficiency but also remove allergens, toxins, and particulate matter so that your family is breathing cleaner air year-round.
While you may be tempted to have the air vents closed as a means of controlling its airflow and temperature, this can lead to causing issues with the unit when there are too many of them that are closed. Another problem you might face is mold growing in the ducts due to closed air vents. The vents that are closed don’t normally save homemakers money in the long term, because the furnace can wear out more easily.
Finally, if you have a furnace venting to the outside of your home, make sure debris, critters, as well as other blockages, are not responsible for preventing the airflow into home areas. Don’t wait until the heating season is underway to check your furnace vent for blockages. If the furnace seems to be acting oddly when it’s operating, you could also check for these issues before making a call to a technician for repair.