How Often Should a Furnace Be Inspected?
Furnace maintenance includes various preventive heating services performed by a qualified technician. This maintenance is done to ensure that the HVAC system is in optimal condition to continue heating your home or business effectively. The technician will conduct a thorough inspection to check how your HVAC system is operating. It is essential to understand that gas furnace problems can lead to critical conditions with your home heating, not limited to but including dirty or dusty filters, a faulty pilot light, or a cracked heat exchanger.
If you reside near the Philadelphia area and are experiencing even a minor problem with your HVAC system, you should look for HVAC Repair in Philadelphia immediately. Your furnace should be serviced—at minimum—once or twice per year. It’s especially important to make sure the furnace is inspected and in top shape before the winter season. Following is a short guide to help you understand what furnace maintenance is and why it is so crucial.
What does furnace maintenance include?
Before we dig further into the importance of furnace maintenance, let’s talk about what aspects are covered in this upkeep. Furnace maintenance involves inspecting and checking your system’s necessary components. Cleaning, testing, and lubricating the equipment are some of the special tasks involved in the process. Following are some specific tasks included in furnace maintenance:
- Thoroughly inspecting the entire system
- Removing any blockages or debris
- Examining and cleaning the blower
- Evaluating the blower motor and testing
- Lubricating all moving parts in the heating system
- Inspecting the electrical connections
- Replacing damaged wiring or tightening the wires, if necessary
- Checking the air filter for needed cleaning and/or replacing
- Checking and testing the HVAC system’s safety controls and startup cycle
- Checking the burner and flame sensor
- Examining the belts for any damage or cracks
- Inspecting the thermostat, if needed
- Inspecting air intake grilles
- Checking the heat exchanger for damage
These tasks are vital. They will allow your furnace servicer to understand if there are any technical faults in your system that could lead to you losing your heat.
Common problems from inadequate furnace services
Following are some of the common complications that can arise when furnace service isn’t performed:
- Dirty filters or blockages
This is one of the most common situations that may occur when regular service isn’t performed. Slacking on upkeep services can lead to dirty filters, which may block or prevent air from circulating properly. It can even affect the heating capacity and result in poor heating.
- Mechanical wear and tear issues
Furnaces are made up of numerous components, and it is critical to inspect all the elements. Improper maintenance of a furnace can lead to various problems from overheating to airflow issues. There is a high risk that the entire unit will stop functioning if one component stops operating properly.
- Pilot or ignition issues
Pilot and ignition control are the two of the most essential components of the furnace. It is essential to clean and inspect these controls properly. Failure of either of them could lead to more serious problems. It could even lead to a leakage of dangerous toxins that can affect the overall health of you and your family.
How often should you get furnace maintenance?
A gas furnace should be serviced at least once a year; preferably, twice a year. Maintenance and inspection are necessary to ensure that all the machine parts are clean and working effectively.
Regular service will also ensure that the system is in proper condition. In the case of component breakages, it can lead to more serious problems in the entire unit. The unit may stop functioning, or the problem may affect your indoor air quality. By not getting it serviced, you may be compromising your health as well as your family’s. Therefore, it is crucial that you get your furnace serviced by a trained professional
Benefits of furnace maintenance
In this section, we have highlighted some of the benefits associated with furnace maintenance. Experts recommend having your gas furnace serviced and maintenance at least once a year. These benefits will help you understand how furnace maintenance actually saves you time and money in the long run.
- Increased energy efficiency and lower energy bills
With regular maintenance, you can ensure that all parts are working at their maximum capacity. It will increase efficiency and reduce your energy bills.
- Extend the overall life of your furnace
A healthy gas furnace is free from any type of leak, crack, and/or blockage. To keep it functional for years, it is essential to get it serviced. Regular inspection will prevent it from deteriorating. You won’t have to purchase a new furnace or an entire HVAC system sooner than you need to.
- Improved Capacity
The efficiency and capacity of your equipment will be improved with proper inspection and maintenance by a trained technician.
- Improved Safety
Safety should always be your top priority, and when you own such equipment, inspection becomes necessary. Regular inspections enable taking care of small problems before they turn into expensive repairs.
You don’t want to wait until there’s an expensive issue to think about your home’s heating. For furnace services in Philadelphia, get in touch with an experienced professionals at EMCOTech. Look for a trained technician who can solve your furnace issues and provide you with effective maintenance services to keep your house heated and your peace of mind intact throughout the year.