A common question that we receive at Clement Chauffage: “Is annual furnace maintenance important?” Our answer is usually this: It’s essential. Think of your furnace like a new car. You wouldn’t rack up 100,000 kilometers or miles without changing the oil, would you? Well, your heating system is the same way. Annual maintenance prevents breakdowns and other potential issues that could leave you shivering in the wintertime.
Why Cleaning a Furnace is Important
During the months when your furnace is heating your home or business, it ends up sucking in dust and dirt. Furnaces are a magnet for all kinds of debris. So, if you don’t keep the furnace clean, that debris could end up contaminating the indoor air quality. Since this could prompt a number of health issues, maintenance is crucial. Fail to clean your furnace, and you will notice a rise of colds, allergies, viruses, and also worsening asthma and breathing disorder symptoms.
Aside from the negative impact on the health of you, your family and friends, neglecting to maintain your furnace will adversely affect the performance. An unclean furnace will fail to provide the same amount of heat it did the year before, or you might notice that some sections of the home or office feel colder than usual.
When to Get Furnace Maintenance
You probably want to know when is the best time to schedule a routine furnace maintenance. It depends on a couple of things. Depending on where you live, you might end up using your furnace more than your neighbors. So, time the service with the beginning and end of the winter season. You want to get the furnace cleaned before winter, since that will ensure there is little dirt, dander, and dust clogging the system.
Have a professional come to your home. They will be able to spot any signs of trouble and suggest countermeasures. Plus, they will be able to perform any immediate repairs.
After winter, you can schedule another spring service to, again, make sure the heating system has been thoroughly cleaned and to ensure there are no problems laying in wait for winter.
What Comes With Annual Furnace Maintenance
Routine maintenance will extend the life of your HVAC system and boost efficiency. A trained HVAC technician will do the following during an annual furnace maintenance:
- Inspection of all safety switches
- Filter replacement
- Temperature control calibration
- Inspections of electrical components
- Fan and belt adjustments
- Full cleaning of the furnace and other parts of the HVAC system
- Inspecting the heat exchanger for any damages
You might not think about getting maintenance done when there are few signs of issues. However, you shouldn’t wait until problems begin to arise. If you notice that the air flow is off, that there is water in the ducts, and that there are odd noises, it is certainly time to pick up the phone and schedule a visit from the HVAC technician.
Bottom Line
Now that you know how important furnace maintenance truly is, you should call an HVAC contractor to get it serviced as soon as you can. Make sure the furnace is cleaned and inspected before the colder weather starts setting in. After you get your furnace cleaned, make sure you keep up with maintenance too!