Good-bye, summer humidity and hello, chillier temperatures. We’re getting close to the time to switch the thermostat from a cooler setting to a warmer one. However, even if your HVAC unit was working all summer long it doesn’t mean that your furnace is ready to handle your needs this winter. This is especially true if it hasn’t seen any form of HVAC maintenance for awhile or ever.
This could be a potentially dangerous situation when you fire up the furnace for the first time. Depending on the type of system you have, if your furnace isn’t working perfectly, it could leak carbon monoxide into your home. As the months become chillier, we all close our doors in order for the heat to accumulate in the room. However, doing so also traps carbon monoxide in the room — which is odorless and colorless, making it impossible to tell if you’re being exposed unless you understand the symptoms and can recognize it as such.
Don’t worry. You can avoid this from happening by scheduling regular maintenance for your HVAC throughout the year.
What does HVAC Maintenance Include?
After you schedule an appointment to have your HVAC unit tuned up, you may be wondering just what the professionals are going to do for you. One of the first areas that they’ll inspect is the combustion chamber. Also called the heat exchanger, they check to make sure it’s in good condition. They check the burner flame to ensure that it’s working properly and that the air is adjusting correctly.
If the pilot light is dirty or malfunctioning, technicians will clean it up and get it back into shape. The motor and belts will be inspected and if it seems as though the oil is low or old, they’ll replace or refill the oil. Filters and seals will be inspected, cleaned, and replaced as necessary. The furnace as a whole will be cleaned if it poses a risk or seems to be interfering with the quality of operation.
A few last details our professionals will go over is checking to see if there’s any carbon monoxide leaking from the furnace. We have special sensors allowing us to test the levels. If there seems to be a problem, we can take care of it then and there, and you won’t have to worry about a potential leak. There are a number of other checklist items we look at, including examining the integrity of your ductwork and wiring connections and testing your thermostat. Finally, we’ll turn everything on, make sure all of the safety measures are working accordingly, and then consider the maintenance done.
As you can see a lot goes into a check, but by the end of it, you’ll be left with an HVAC unit that is prepared to keep your family warm during the fall and winter seasons. Besides keeping your family safe from carbon monoxide, however, keeping your HVAC unit working in its best condition also has a few other benefits.
Why HVAC Maintenance Matters
When something is properly tuned regularly, such as your car, it functions more efficiently. The same applies to the HVAC unit because the filters have been changed, belts have been replaced, and so on, the unit as a whole is performing better. As such, the heat is easier and more efficiently generated in your home. This is especially important for when the temperatures truly begin to drop and your house needs to get warm fast.
For those who have health conditions that affect breathing — such as asthma and allergies — having your furnace working efficiently is crucial.
It also saves on your energy bill. If your furnace isn’t producing heat efficiently, then a higher percentage of the energy it uses to generate heat is being wasted. Energy costs don’t seem to drop as time goes by, so a sure way to reduce that bill every month is to ensure that your furnace is in top shape.
Another aspect to consider is the life of your HVAC unit. Obviously, if something isn’t properly maintained, its lifespan is reduced. Because HVAC units can be quite expensive, you can help your budget and wallet out by having it properly maintained every year instead. It’ll save you a ton of money in the long-run.
Give Thompson and Thompson a call at (912) 549-1521 and have one of our friendly technicians give your furnace a thorough once-over.
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