With average January low temperatures plummeting into the teens, reliable heating is essential. You can’t take chances when it comes to your safety and comfort. It’s one of the many reasons why we recommend annual furnace inspections in the fall. It allows us to prepare your system for the brutal winter conditions. There are many advantages to scheduling this crucial appointment.
Safety and Peace of Mind
Furnaces need proper care to work safely. Scheduling a furnace inspection lets our team do important safety checks. For example, we assess the heat exchanger. We’ll make sure the system is working correctly, giving you peace of mind. You can feel confident in having loved ones over for the holidays without worrying that the heat will go out.
Keep an eye out for safety concerns between your professional appointments. A yellow pilot light might mean there’s a carbon monoxide leak. Also, a burning smell could point to an electrical problem. Check your furnace weekly. This quick self-inspection helps you spot potential issues early.
If you notice abnormal furnace behaviors, never attempt to fix them yourself. This could put you at risk for severe injury. Additionally, you could accidentally further damage the system, potentially causing a complete breakdown. DIY repairs can also void your furnace’s manufacturer warranty. Instead, stop using the heat. Turn off your unit at the electrical panel, then call us right away. This is especially important if temperatures drop below freezing and your heating system isn’t working.
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Preventing Repairs and Breakdowns
Early detection is key to helping prevent furnace repairs and breakdowns. Our HVAC technicians can spot tiny problems, like frayed wiring. We can identify the problem and determine a reliable solution.
If an issue is too severe, it may not be fixable. In that case, we will recommend replacing the system. When a technician finds a crack in a heat exchanger, they usually have to replace it.
Preventing Emergency Situations
The last thing you want is to have to deal with a heating system emergency during winter. It’s cheaper and easier to manage repairs on your schedule. Urgent situations can be stressful. This situation can be tough if you have guests, it’s the middle of the night, or you’re celebrating. Scheduling a furnace tune-up helps us find issues early. This way, we can fix them before they get worse. We recommend scheduling repairs immediately to prevent emergency heating situations.
Improved Energy Efficiency
A furnace that functions optimally is more energy efficient, which offers many benefits. For example, it can help keep your utility costs as low as possible. When your unit has issues, even small ones, the system has to work harder to run normally. It uses more energy, which increases your utility bills. You may not notice an obvious problem with your furnace. But rising bills for what seems like no reason are good indicators of a hidden issue.
During the appointment, our technicians will adjust your system’s settings. This can boost energy efficiency. We’ll also make more recommendations that can help your furnace operate more efficiently. For instance, we may suggest sealing drafts in window frames and doors. Cold air can slip through these gaps on windy days. This can lead to uncomfortable temperature changes in your home. Your furnace tries hard to reach your preferred temperatures. This effort makes it use more energy. This results in less efficient performance and higher utility bills.
The good news is that blocking drafts is usually easy. You don’t have to replace the windows and doors right now. Using gap filler and weather stripping can make a significant difference. Also, applying insulating window film to doors and windows is smart. It helps keep heat inside. The film takes some effort to apply, as careful application is important. However, it can help reduce heat loss, ease strain on your furnace, and lead to lower utility bills.
Extended Equipment Lifespan
Considering a new furnace can cost thousands of dollars, it’s ideal to help it last as long as possible. With proper maintenance, it can operate for 15 to 20 years. Other factors affect its lifespan. These include the quality of the initial installation and how you use heat.
We do many tasks during a furnace inspection. This helps improve performance and extend its lifespan. We lubricate moving parts. We calibrate the thermostat. We also check that the wiring is intact. The appointment typically takes less than a few hours. We recommend being present during this time in case we need to access other areas of your home. It’s also the perfect opportunity to ask us any questions.
Better Indoor Air Quality
One important job we do in our annual furnace inspection is to clean the components. Doing this helps improve your indoor air quality. It stops your furnace from collecting dirt and debris. This way, nothing gets into your ducts and spreads to every room in your home.
Changing your furnace’s filter can help you prevent debris from building up in the unit. It gathers many contaminants. These include dead insects, human hair, pet fur, and pollen. When the filter becomes too clogged, the debris has nowhere else to go but into your system. It then pushes it out into your home. You breathe it in. It settles into soft furnishings and sticks to hard surfaces, making it visible. Long exposure can lead to serious breathing issues. This is especially true for people with asthma.
We recommend changing your furnace’s air filter every few months. However, if you have pets, seniors, or kids in the home, or those with health complications, monthly is ideal.
Ensures Consistent Heating
Having a properly working furnace means you have access to consistent heating. This is incredibly important in a region with extremely cold winters. We inspect your appliance to ensure it works properly. During furnace maintenance, we look over every part that keeps your heat steady and safe. We check the burners, sensors, and blower motor. We also inspect wiring, tighten connections, and clean out dust that slows things down. Our goal is to make sure your system runs all heating season.
Maintains Warranty Coverage
Your furnace came with a warranty. This usually has details on how to keep it valid. One stipulation is usually that the appliance needs annual professional maintenance. Skipping this service could void your warranty. This means you may need to pay for future repairs yourself.
Make sure your furnace is in top condition and ready for the frigid winter months. Central Heating & Air Conditioning in Billings, MT, provides furnace inspections, repairs, and maintenance you can trust. Call our family-owned and -operated company today to schedule an appointment or book one through our website.
