Furnace Maintenance: Is It Really Worth It?

The Importance of Regular Furnace Maintenance

As the Fall weather arrives and the heating season begins, your family will rely on the furnace, as they relied on the air conditioner during the Summer. However, it would be much easier to do without air conditioning than without heating all Winter. It would be terrible to not have the furnace running strong, so it is always best to give the furnace some care by having it inspected and serviced.

Regular Furnace Maintenance Helps Keep the Furnace Efficient

A service inspection handles little things that make a big difference.

• A dirty, clogged filter seems like such a small thing, but it actually has a tremendous impact on the efficiency of your furnace. The heating element, whether electric or gas, depends on the movement of lots of air. A clogged filter reduces the amount of air that can move and makes it work much harder; a system that works harder requires more energy, becoming less efficient.
• A little bit of soot on the flame sensor seems like such a small thing, but it actually sends the wrong signals concerning when and whether the burner should light and produce heat. Undoubtedly, you will feel the effect of the burner not lighting on time or not at all. An efficient system becomes a non-working system.
• A little bit of dust collecting on the blower motor fan blades seems like such a small thing, but it actually slows the rotation of the fan and reduces the amount of air the fan can move.

All of these “little things” reduce the efficiency of a furnace; an inspection and service restore the efficiency and lower the cost of heating.

Regular Furnace Maintenance Helps with Indoor Air Quality

During Winter months, the concentration of indoor pollutants increases since the house stays closed up for warmth.

• Really, the pollutants that enter the home during the Winter are no different than any other time of the year. However, mold and dust accumulate and there are not many opportunities for them to be diluted by the fresh air from outdoors.
• However, the most dangerous form of indoor pollutant would be carbon monoxide. A poorly maintained, leaky system can create real asphyxiation dangers that will be fatal. A poorly maintained leaky system might also allow natural gas to leak into the home and create a fire and explosion hazard.

These are some mighty good reasons to keep your furnace well-maintained.

Regular Furnace Maintenance Helps Keep the Furnace Functioning

Wear and tear take its toll on your system. Regular furnace maintenance will help repair the problems and keep your furnace working longer.

• As your system functions, electrical switches turn on and off, the fan motor turns, or the burner combines gas and oxygen to produce heat. All these activities cause parts to wear and corrode. The system needs to be looked after.
• When the stress on one part is neglected, stress can spread to related parts. Eventually, the stress reaches a point where repair is needed, a repair that could have been avoided by maintenance.
• Ignoring maintenance over a long period has been determined to shorten the useful life of the furnace by as much as 5 years.

The bottom line, regularly scheduled furnace maintenance has many benefits.

Need Furnace Maintenance, Call Us Today!

Contact our Furnace Maintenance team at Doctor Cool & Professor Heat today at 281-338-8751 or email Doctor Cool and let our professional Residential Emergency Furnace Repair technicians assist with all of your HVAC maintenance questions.