Why You Really Should Service Your Furnace Every Year

The smooth running of your home requires that you stay on top of different areas such as yard maintenance, roofing, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It’s easy to postpone the work since there can be a lot to do. At Next Level HVAC, one mistake we see many homeowners make is forgetting about furnace servicing. On one level, it makes sense. Furnaces are not glamorous. They are workhorses that blend in with the background. However, it really is essential to get an HVAC contractor to service your furnace every year. Let’s look at why.



HVAC Contractor Explains Why Your Furnace Needs Yearly Maintenance

The reasons for yearly checkups boil down to an extended furnace lifespan, better energy efficiency, and lower health risks. For example, if something goes even slightly wrong with the furnace, it could lead to potentially deadly carbon monoxide buildup.

1. Maintain Optimal Performance

Annual servicing keeps your furnace on top of its game. An HVAC contractor can catch emerging issues early before they become serious and expensive. It’s also good to know who to call in case of a furnace emergency.

2. Save Money

It is cheaper to pay for annual maintenance rather than do nothing. Any furnace problems are likely to become worse and worse, pushing the price tag of repairs ever higher. Think of servicing your furnace every year as a smart investment — because it is.

Annual maintenance also optimizes airflow and helps your furnace last longer. A longer lifespan means you save money by not having to buy a new furnace too soon after the current one.

3. Ensure a Working Furnace When You Most Need It

Winters are not too harsh in Santa Rosa, CA, especially compared with many other areas of the country. However, winter temperatures in Santa Rosa can dip into the 30s. When it’s cold out is not a good time for your furnace to stop working. Annual maintenance helps ensure it runs well when you most need it.

Many people have their annual furnace check ups done in fall soon before they turn their furnace on for the first time for the year.

4. Keep Your Warranty Valid

We understand if you don’t read the fine print of your warranty. Here’s the reality, though. Many furnace warranties include clauses about getting service every year if the warranty is to remain in effect. In other words, warranties typically do not cover repairs if the furnace has been improperly maintained.

5. Take Care of Multiple Needs

Furnaces benefit enormously from annual maintenance. So do many components of an HVAC system. When you get HVAC contractors in to check your furnace, they can assess the ventilation, air conditioning, and other aspects of the system.

6. Stay Safe

Any small hitch in the functioning of your furnace could result in gas leaks, high levels of carbon monoxide, and other issues. That’s because furnaces use combustion for heat generation, and the process involves propane, natural gas, and oil. Yearly furnace maintenance by a qualified HVAC contractor keeps your family safe. Even new HVAC systems can leak carbon monoxide.

Ask your HVAC technician to check the wires, too. The techs may already do this, but ask just in case they do not. Broken or loose furnace wires pose fire hazards. Also, if wires become corroded, the corrosion could damage your system.

7. Improve Energy Efficiency

Furnace check ups promote energy efficiency since your furnace keeps running in peak condition. If you get other HVAC components checked at the same time, the energy efficiency is even better. Systems that are not maintained are a drain on energy usage.

8. Get Filter Changes

It’s good to check your filter more than once a year, but not everyone does that. Yearly furnace maintenance ensures your filters get replaced at least annually. Filter changes minimize the dust, dirt, and allergens in your system.

HVAC Contractor Explains Furnace Warning Signs

If your carbon monoxide detectors go off, leave the house and call 911. Other signs of your furnace acting up include an increased energy bill, odd smells and sounds, and spotty temperatures. The latter is problematic because it indicates your furnace and HVAC system are not reaching all the areas they need to.

Meanwhile, a spike in your energy bill could mean a heater or furnace that is not running properly. Strange smells such as the scent of something burning may indicate a problem that needs checking out. The exception is the smell that occurs the first time you turn on the heater. It has not been used in a while and is burning dust and debris. A clean air filter helps reduce the intensity of this smell. Strange sounds, too, could point to a problem that needs addressing sooner rather than later. For more information on annual furnace inspections and emerging furnace issues, contact us at Next Level HVAC.