If you’ve ever had issues with your furnace, you know how irritating and stressful it can be. In particular, residents of Red Oak, IA, know how important a functioning furnace is during the winter months.
Sometimes a furnace will start making small noises that worsen over time; other times, a furnace will suddenly stop working. Whatever the case may be, routine furnace and heater maintenance can help avoid unanticipated heating issues.
Investing in a regular furnace tune-up will diagnose any problems and spot any early warning signs of oncoming issues. Aside from fixing problems, there are several other reasons it is important to invest in furnace maintenance. Here are the top 5 reasons to schedule a furnace tune-up today:
- Keeping Your Home Safe
It can be easy to forget that your furnace is a gas appliance and thus carries a fire risk in addition to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. One of the most common ways furnace fires start is dust and dirt build-up.
When the build-up gets hot, it can catch fire and can quickly spread to the rest of your home. In addition to checking the furnace itself, furnace technicians will be able to inspect the area around your furnace and advise you if any items near it pose a fire risk.
Improperly maintained furnaces could develop broken venting or other components, increasing the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Most times, these issues are not noticeable, which is why furnaces cause carbon monoxide poisoning more than almost every other fuel appliance.
While most furnaces have safety guards to prevent leaks or accidents, these safety devices can also break and need to be checked regularly.
- Saving Energy and Lowering Your Bills
Residents in Red Oak, IA, or anywhere in the midwest, will know how expensive residential heating can be in the cold winter months. Heating bills are frequently the number one monthly household expense in cold climates.
While your furnace may appear to be functioning properly, poorly maintained systems need to work harder to produce the same amount of heat. Furnaces that are not running efficiently will use more energy and cost you more money.
The inefficiency may not be enough to cause a huge jump in your monthly bill, but these incremental costs add up over many months or years. A professional tune-up will ensure that your system is running properly and heating your home efficiently.
- Keeping Your Warranty Valid
Many homeowners think that if their furnace is under warranty, that warranty will cover anything that goes wrong. However, most manufacturer warranties require maintenance.
If you don’t have your furnace serviced, you may come to find out that your warranty is no longer valid when something goes wrong. Furnace tune-ups will help avoid the need for repairs in the first place, but if you do need a repair, regular maintenance will ensure that your warranty will cover any serious costs.
- Avoiding an Expensive Furnace Repair Bill
Usually, furnace problems start as small issues and grow into big repair problems because they were not addressed early on. Most furnace breakdowns are not due to faulty manufacturing or fluke issues but because of a lack of maintenance.
Simple wear and tear and build-up of dirt and dust can be easily addressed during a tune-up and avoid major heater repair bills down the road.
In addition, furnaces rarely break down in the middle of summer on your day off. It is more likely than not that they will break down during the cold months, or worse, in the middle of the night when you’ll have to pay a big service fee for immediate repair.
While it may seem like a chore to schedule maintenance when your furnace appears to be working fine, a quick tune-up can work wonders and save you lots of money and stress down the road.
- Extending the Life of Your Furnace
A furnace can have a relatively short life span if it is not maintained. Your furnace is an expensive and necessary appliance that is inconvenient to replace. Failing to schedule regular furnace tune-ups will guarantee that your furnace wears out faster.
Wear and tear and particle build-up force the furnace to work much harder, thus wear out quicker. Regular maintenance ensures that your furnace is only using the amount of energy required and that it’s not running harder than it needs to. Investing in regular tune-ups can add years to the life of a furnace.
Whether you are a new homeowner with a brand-new furnace or you’ve had the same furnace for 20 years, you should prioritize scheduling a furnace tune-up. Simply search “HVAC technician near me” to find a professional in your area. Or, if you are a Red Oak, IA, resident, contact Jones Mechanical, Inc. today to schedule a visit!
