Many things in life require regular tune-ups, check-ups, or maintenance—from dental visits to oil changes to trips to the gym. Keeping up with all these things might seem like a lot to juggle, so you might wonder if you really need to add an annual furnace inspection onto the list.
The truth is, having your furnace regularly inspected can be done quickly and easily with the help of a qualified technician. And doing so will save you as the homeowner, money and hassle in the long run.
Let’s take a look at some of the many reasons why an annual furnace inspection is so important for your household and why you can’t afford to skip it:
Is an Annual Inspection for My Furnace Really Necessary?
All furnace manufacturers recommend that you have yearly maintenance performed by a qualified technician. Most furnace warranties state that any damage sustained to the unit due to a lack of regular maintenance will not be covered in the warranty.
While it’s true that skipping a year, or even two, of maintenance visits probably won’t lead to a voided warranty, the recommendation is still worth noting. It’s during these annual visits that technicians can spot small issues before they get much worse. This reason alone is enough to keep those maintenance visits consistent.
A Regular Furnace Inspection Keeps You Comfortable
Our HVAC systems are a modern luxury, keeping us warm during the cold winter months and cool when it’s hot and humid outside. If you don’t maintain your HVAC system, you could find yourself without heating or cooling when you need it most.
Many, if not most, of emergency furnace breakdowns are due to the lack of consistent professional maintenance. Preserving the life of your furnace is as easy as keeping a yearly appointment.
What if your furnace breaks down during a holiday or the middle of the night during when the temperatures drop to record lows? You could be looking at many long hours of discomfort before a technician is able to come by.
By keeping regular maintenance appointments, you’ll decrease the risk of a complete system breakdown. You’ll also increase your opportunities to enjoy perfect, controlled temperatures indoors.
Regular Furnace Maintenance Saves You Money
When you have your furnace inspected regularly by a qualified technician, you reduce the chances of future costly repairs.
All the tasks performed by a technician during a maintenance visit help in preventing premature system failure. This helps ensure that you get your money’s worth. It also gives technicians a chance to spot possible issues before they become serious problems.
When your furnace technician comes for a maintenance appointment, he or she will inspect the unit. They will test it to make sure it runs properly, lubricate parts as needed, and check connections and heat exchangers.
With these regular maintenance efforts, you’ll keep your furnace running more efficiently as well. And when your furnace runs more efficiently, it consumes less energy which in turn means you’ll spend less on your monthly utility bills.
Increased Longevity for Your Furnace
Regular maintenance of any HVAC system or furnace can significantly increase its lifespan. A new furnace can be a costly investment, so if you can avoid buying one for several more years by maintaining the one you have, why not do so?
By avoiding these breakdowns due to lack of maintenance, you save yourself a lot of money in the long run.
It’s much less expensive to maintain a furnace than it is to completely replace one.
What Occurs During a Furnace Maintenance?
There’s no absolute checklist that every technician will adhere to when they perform a furnace maintenance visit. But some of the best practices that reliable technicians go by might include the following:
- Your venting system are checked for any blockages and includes both a visual inspection and a draft inspection
- A combustion analysis will also take place to check for carbon monoxide leakage which is an important step in ensuring the safety of your household
- Examination of the heat exchanger visually and with a combustion analysis as well
- Testing of the safety switches to make sure they’re functioning correctly and keeps your furnace from overheating and starting a fire in your home
- Checking of your burners for ignition and flame capability
- Your flame sensor and ignition device will also be inspected
- Examination of the furnace’s combustion blower to make sure there are no blockages preventing proper airflow
- The drainage system will be cleaned and inspected which is a required step during each visit
- The wiring will be checked for its connections and to ward off corrosion
- Gas pressure will be checked as well as the furnace’s temperature rise
- Your furnace filters will be checked for cleanliness and proper installation technique
Each one of these efforts might not be required during every visit, but a good technician will at least check.
Schedule Your Annual Furnace Inspection Today
Now that you know some of the reasons why a regular furnace inspection is so important, we invite you to schedule your annual furnace maintenance.
Please contact us for a list of preferred vendors to perform your annual furnace check up!