
Why Get A Furnace Tune-Up
As a very popular series of books said, “Winter is Coming.” When winter arrives, the furnace is going to come on and when that happens, you want to make sure your furnace is running at peak efficiency and is running safely in your house.
The furnace is the unsung hero of the home. For six months of the year, it provides us with warm air to keep us comfortable. It pumps in natural gas and turns it into heat for us while keeping us safe from the dangers of carbon monoxide. The only time we ever think about our furnace is when it stops working.
You may think that furnace inspections and tune-ups are not that necessary since the furnace always works fine, but you would be wrong.
First of all, you should have a furnace inspection every single year. This will ensure your furnace is running at peak efficiency. With a good inspection, you can find problems before they become a serious issue. At the same time, you can get a tune-up. What does a tune-up involve? First, it involves cleaning the furnace and replacing the filters. That is important because clean filters mean the furnace doesn’t have to work as hard to get air to you or to bring in air. That saves you money on your energy bill and you could find you pay hundreds of dollars less over the course of the winter thanks to the cleaned up and tuned-up furnace.
There is another reason to have your furnace tuned-up, and it comes down to carbon monoxide.
When a furnace inspection and tune-up are done, the following are usually looked at:
- The vent system is checked to make sure there is no blockage or leaking.
- The combustion gases are analyzed and compared with unit specifications.
- The blower access door is checked to make sure it forms a tight seal.
- The intake grilles are checked for blockages.
- The heat exchanger is checked for any corrosion.
- The burners are checked for proper ignition and burner flame.
- The amp-draw test is conducted to make sure the blower motor is working properly.
- The wiring needs to be checked for corrosion.
- Filters are checked as well.
By checking these things, you can prevent carbon monoxide from being a problem in your house. From 1999 to 2010, a total of 5,149 people died from carbon monoxide poisoning in the United States. This accounted for 430 deaths every single year, with the highest rate being among the elderly.
Carbon monoxide has no taste and no smell so you won’t even know that it is a problem. You will go to sleep one night and not wake up. It has happened time and time again, but you can prevent it from happening by getting your furnace tuned up. Most companies can tune-up your furnace for a small fee, and that small fee is a literal small price to pay for peace of mind this winter.