If you’ve lived in Michigan for some time, you know that winter here is often harsh. Extreme cold and snow are common occurrences. As a result, your home needs a reliable and performant heating system. If you’re like most people, you likely chose a gas furnace for that purpose. They’re efficient and dependable, and can last for up to 20 years. However, to get the most out of your furnace, an annual pre-winter tune-up is crucial.
Here’s why that is and what a tune-up entails.
Your Furnace’s Maintenance Needs
Modern gas furnaces require annual heating maintenance to keep working well. Some estimates indicate that a typical gas furnace may lose up to 5% of its efficiency each year it goes without maintenance. In Michigan, that can add up to some serious increases in your heating bills. The efficiency losses stem from wear and tear that causes incomplete combustion in your furnace. The good news is that you can recover much of any losses your furnace has already incurred through resuming annual maintenance visits.
Ideally, early fall is the best time to schedule your annual furnace tune-up. There are multiple reasons for that. One is that it should be early enough that you don’t need your furnace running yet. Simultaneously, it should be long after you’ve stopped using your AC, if you have one. In homes with central AC and a furnace, it’s common for both to share an indoor air handler. By scheduling your maintenance in the fall, you won’t have to go without AC during the appointment. Also, it leaves you with enough time to make repairs if your tune-up uncovers problems with your furnace that may lead to a failure.
What Happens During a Furnace Tune-Up?
During a furnace tune-up appointment, you can expect our technician to perform several critical tasks. They include the following:
Blower Motor, Wheel, and Compartment Cleaning
As your HVAC runs, it depends on its air filter to prevent dust and dirt from reaching its air handler components. However, HVAC air filters will only trap some of the dirt and dust that circulates in your home’s air. The rest ends up, in part, on your furnace’s blower motor, wheel, and compartment. Our technician will clean all three and lubricate your motor’s moving parts to ensure efficient operation.
Electrical Inspection and Adjustment
Our technician will also inspect your furnace’s wiring and tighten connections as necessary. Loose wiring can result from the vibrations of your furnace’s blower motor while it runs. Tightening furnace wire connections prevents unnecessary failures due to short circuits or control board disconnections. It also helps ensure that your home’s thermostat maintains a solid connection to your furnace.
Burner Cleaning and Adjustment
Your furnace’s burners can get dirty due to combustion byproducts. As they do, they’ll gradually lose efficiency. Unfortunately, those effects are cumulative. Inefficient burners don’t support complete combustion, which increases combustion byproducts like soot and residue. During a furnace tune-up, our technician will thoroughly clean your furnace burners to restore their efficiency.
Heat Exchanger, Gas Valve, and Flame Sensor Inspection
Your furnace’s heat exchanger is where heat from the combustion process transfers into your home’s air. If it gets dirty, the efficiency of the heat transfer diminishes. If your heat exchanger suffers damage, it could let carbon monoxide seep into your home. Our technician will inspect your heat exchanger for damage and clean it to improve heat transfer efficiency. They’ll also inspect and adjust your furnace’s gas valves, if necessary, to ensure proper gas flow. And they’ll check your furnace’s flame sensor and clean it if necessary.
Ignitor or Pilot Light Inspection
Every time your thermostat calls for heat, your furnace turns on its ignitor, if it has one. If it has a pilot light, it will instead skip to the next step: starting the flow of natural gas to the burners. If your ignitor fails or your pilot light goes out, your burners won’t ignite, and your system will shut down. To ensure proper and reliable operation of your ignitor or pilot light, our technician will inspect the relevant components. They’ll also clean them and make adjustments if necessary.
What Are the Benefits of a Furnace Tune-Up?
You’ve already learned that an annual furnace tune-up will help your furnace maintain its efficiency. But that’s just the beginning. Annual furnace tune-ups also have the following benefits.
Maximized Lifespan
A well-maintained furnace should last for between 15 and 20 years. However, a neglected furnace may not make it far beyond its tenth birthday. So, annual maintenance is a cost-effective way to maximize your furnace investment.
Satisfies Warranty Requirements
Most furnaces come with warranties that protect your furnace from premature component failures. However, nearly all make regular maintenance a condition of continued coverage. If your furnace suffers a failure that your warranty should cover, the manufacturer may request documentation proving you’ve maintained the system. If you can’t produce it, you could get stuck covering the cost of the repair yourself.
Improves Safety
Even though modern furnaces have an excellent safety record, they do involve controlled indoor combustion. It’s an inherently dangerous process that risks fires and gas leaks when things go awry. Regular maintenance reduces your safety risk, which may be its most important benefit.
Improves Comfort
When freezing temperatures arrive in Michigan, your furnace can only keep you comfortable if it’s operating at peak performance. Otherwise, you may suffer from uneven heating that leaves parts of your home colder than they should be. An annual, pre-winter tune-up ensures your furnace will handle whatever the winter throws at it.
Reduced Repair Costs
There’s an old saying that insists that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When it comes to furnaces, that’s quite true. Regular maintenance reduces unnecessary wear and tear, helping your furnace’s components to last longer. That, in turn, reduces your total repair costs through the life of your system. It also lowers the odds that you’ll need emergency repairs in the depths of winter. A loss of heat in cold weather demands an emergency response that will cost far more than proactive maintenance.
Your Local Furnace Tune-Up Experts
Matheson Heating, Air & Plumbing is the leader in furnace maintenance in Commerce, MI, and we have a Service Agreement that helps you save money and keeps your HVAC system working its best. We’ve served the comfort needs of local homeowners since 1946. Our team of NATE-certified HVAC technicians is highly trained and has extensive experience. When you work with us, expect us to show up on time and treat you and your home with respect.
Plus, you never need to worry about surprise charges, as the price we quote is the price you’ll pay. We even offer a convenient yearly service agreement that makes maintaining your HVAC easy. But don’t take our word for any of this. Instead, read some of the positive reviews our satisfied customers leave for us every day.
When you need a furnace tune-up in Commerce, contact our team at Matheson Heating, Air & Plumbing immediately.