Most vehicle manufacturers recommend that your vehicle gets an oil change every 3,000 miles and a tune-up before 100,000 miles. Regular maintenance for your vehicle is important, considering how hard the engine works each day to get you where you need to be. Most people follow these guidelines with fidelity and don’t hesitate to get their car serviced regularly. Similarly, many people service their boats, lawnmowers, and other equipment when required. However, a large number of homeowners fail to recognize the importance of getting regular preventive maintenance for their home’s furnace.
Over time, a furnace can rack up significant service hours working just as hard as your car to deliver comfortable temperatures every winter. Like a tune-up for your vehicle, routine maintenance for your furnace is the best way to ensure your equipment is operating at peak performance. Experts agree that your heating system should last around 20 years. With proper care and maintenance, however, you can extend the life of your furnace well beyond the 20 years mark. Fall is the best time to schedule furnace maintenance to give peace of mind that your equipment will be reliable and safe when you need it in the winter.
Before the weather turns cold, fall is the best time to prepare your furnace for winter weather demands. Since the previous heating season, your furnace could have collected dirt and dust and developed small cracks and leaks. These minor issues need to be addressed before the next winter season. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of scheduling your furnace maintenance in the fall.
Peace of Mind
Your furnace is a complex piece of equipment that requires high temperatures and dangerous processes to deliver warm air into your home. As a result, you’ll want to ensure that your system is running properly and can be safely operated during the winter. As discussed, during normal use, your furnace could develop some minor cracks and other issues. Due to the operating processes of your furnace, however, some of these minor issues can pose safety concerns.
Blocked vents, dirty burners, or a cracked heat exchanger could put your family and home at risk. If not addressed, your equipment is at a greater risk of catching on fire and damaging your home. Additionally, carbon monoxide leaks that can cause serious health consequences can go undetected as the gas is mostly colorless and odorless. Regular fall furnace maintenance will give you peace of mind knowing that your equipment runs safely during the cold months.
Fewer Problems
The worst time to find that you have a problem with your furnace is when you go to use it on the first cold night of the year. If your furnace stops working during the winter, you will be left in the cold, literally. Furnace repairs can be costly and create a miserable experience while you are without heat. Many minor issues can develop within your equipment during normal use. These issues can usually go unnoticed as they don’t interfere with operation. However, if left unresolved, many minor issues can turn into major problems that can cause a system failure.
Depending on where you live, the winter months can place heavy demands on your furnace. While your equipment is working to keep your house warm, small cracks, leaks, loose belts, and strained components could be pushed to the point of failure. Fall maintenance will identify and address these issues to take the stress off your system and prevent the need for costly repairs later. You’ll want to have your system serviced by an HVAC professional each fall to perform minor repairs and extend the lifespan of your system.
Just as you get the necessary service for your vehicle, you’ll also want to have your furnace serviced every fall. Autumn is the perfect time of year to schedule maintenance to ensure that your equipment is safe and running at peak performance when you need it in the winter.