How Often Should You Have Your Furnace Serviced?
In short? Every year. If you want to keep your home warm and cozy all winter, preventive maintenance is the best way to do this. Did you know that about three-quarters of all heat-related service calls could have been avoided if the homeowner had an annual inspection done? Yearly furnace inspections aren’t optional and will keep your furnace running smoothly for years to come.
When Should You Have Your Furnace Serviced?
In California, early fall is the best time to have your furnace serviced. You’ll want to make sure your furnace is functioning well before you even need it. Imagine it’s the first cold day, you go to turn your heat on and it doesn’t work. You’ll be scrambling to find a technician who can come out immediately and will likely be slapped with a high emergency call fee plus repair costs. Doing an inspection before the season starts will put your mind at ease.
Do You Really Need a Professional Furnace Tune-Up Every Year?
If your furnace is brand new, you can probably get away with having it inspected every other year. But furnaces over ten years will need it every fall. Will you be breaking the law if you don’t get an annual furnace tune-up? No. But you’ll be doing your furnace a disservice.
Just like going to the doctor every year for a check-up, your furnace needs an annual wellness check, too. Living in California, you may think that this is optional since you only use your furnace for a short period of time. But this is actually all the more reason to get one. Months of disuse can lead to just as many problems as months of overuse.
What is Included in a Furnace Tune-Up?
It depends. A $50 lightning-deal safety check is not going to be the same as a $200 complete tune-up. Before hiring a professional HVAC service company, ask what is included in their annual furnace tune-up. If all they do is vacuum out dust, you can pass because this is probably something you can do on your own. A proper tune-up will include a broad spectrum inspection, looking for blockages, leaks, rust, and corrosion, in addition to cleaning the parts. They may also perform temperature, pressure, vent, and thermostat checks.
What are the Benefits of Having Your Furnace Serviced?
As stated before, roughly 75% of heat-related service calls could have been prevented with an annual tune-up. When a furnace is well-maintained, you prevent problems before they arise while also prolonging the life of your furnace. In the long run, this will save you money (and also save you from headaches). Additionally, servicing your furnace will make it run safely and more efficiently. When all the parts are clean and free of corrosion, your system won’t need to work as hard and will have a lower risk for carbon monoxide leaks.
Have Your Furnace Serviced with Stephens Plumbing
Stephens Plumbing has been around for more than three decades. We’ve built a trustworthy reputation for heating & air conditioning services. When you hire us to do your annual furnace check, we will be thorough and honest in our work. Our job is to keep your furnace functioning properly and we will perform all the necessary checks and repairs to do so. And when the time comes, we are happy to replace your furnace with a new system that works for you.