Furnace Maintenance: Ways to Keep Your Home Comfortable

There is an enjoyable period in the Fall, a break between the long cooling season and the rather short heating season. Often, the pollen count and humidity are rather low and the temps are mild, so opening windows seems like an excellent idea. The outside can truly become an extension of the inside of your home.

This is also an excellent time to schedule a preventative maintenance check on the furnace before cold weather arrives. HVAC professionals frequently send out reminder calls to homeowners to maintain residential HVAC systems during the Spring and Fall, between the cooling and heating seasons for strategic reasons.

The extreme temperatures of the Summer heat and Winter cold create stress on HVAC systems, resulting in numerous repair calls. Spring and Fall give adequate time to maintain these crucial building systems and prepare them for the active heating or cooling season.

Furnace Maintenance Can Improve Indoor Air Quality

The V in HVAC stands for ventilation, a function not to be ignored. A very powerful blower motor simultaneously pushes and pulls air throughout the home and cleans it in the process. The air is filtered as it passes through the system; even the most basic filter removes over 85% of airborne particles. Some homeowners install ultraviolet lights inside the ductwork to neutralize organic contaminants—pollen, mold spores, bacteria, and viruses. Preventative maintenance includes changing the filter, checking UV lights, and offering advice on air quality issues.

Furnace maintenance will also include a thorough cleaning of the evaporator chamber. During the cooling season, this area is responsible for removing humidity from the air, so it is generally wet and can collect dust and debris. While it remains dry during the heating season, preventative maintenance will clean debris, rust, and any algae that might be growing in the cool, moist, dark space. Removing these contaminants will improve air quality during both the cooling and heating seasons.

Regular Furnace Maintenance Increases the System’s Lifespan

Maintenance cannot guarantee that an HVAC will not break or fail, but it is the best possible measure to avoid potential problems. Most HVAC problems begin with minor stresses and weaknesses; the key to avoiding major problems is to find these stresses early and replace or repair the problem part. Preventative maintenance checks on electrical, mechanical, and refrigerant components, identifying potential problems, and repairing them early.

Ignoring maintenance can lead to unexpected breakdowns at an inconvenient time, usually during an extremely cold snap.

Routine Furnace Maintenance Increase Energy Efficiency

A new HVAC system uses the latest technology to provide comfort and comfort, heating and cooling the air while freshening and cleaning it. All these functions are completed with the utmost efficiency with state-of-the-art technology. However, as the years pass, this efficiency fades, as electrical and mechanical parts age and experience wear. Without maintenance, components will work harder to complete the same tasks, which require more energy. At a certain stage, unmaintained HVAC systems will impact utility bills enough to be noticeable.

Regular maintenance catches some of these wear-caused inefficiencies and is identified during the preventative maintenance inspection. The homeowner is informed of the problem and will receive a recommendation for repair or replacement.

Eventually, the wear and inefficiency will combine to result in the news that the HVAC system needs to be replaced. Preventative furnace maintenance can prolong replacement, but not prevent it. Eventually, a major component will need to be replaced and the cost of replacement will approach a systemic replacement. However, regular preventative maintenance will keep the homeowner informed of the system’s status. Hopefully, this will give the homeowner a couple of years to prepare budget adjustments to fund the replacement.

Keep Your Home and Family Comfortable with Routine Furnace Maintenance

For more information about R.M. Mullinix and our furnace maintenance services, schedule an appointment or visit our furnace maintenance information page.