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Furnace Tune-Ups: Why Maintenance Matters

Furnace Basics: The Importance of Regular Furnace Tune-ups — and When It’s Time for a Furnace Replacement

Regular furnace tune-ups are an important part of keeping your furnace running as safely as possible for as long as possible. Colorado is a cold state. In the summer, you can open your windows, add fans or even sit outside in the shade to beat most high temps. You do not have the same options when the temperature drops below zero or the winter winds whip up 4-foot snow drifts in our parking lots and driveways.

It is imperative that your furnace is fully operational in the winter in Colorado. Annual heating system tune-ups, typically performed in the late summer, fall and early winter, can help you ensure your furnace can go the distance when the Rockies turn into the Snowies. 

What is a Furnace Tune-Up?

A furnace tune-up is like the twice-yearly visits you make to your dentist: A check-up, a cleaning, minor treatments and recommendations for additional services if the dentist detects a problem. A furnace tune-up provides the same level of service for your heating system — inspecting the components, cleaning up, changing filters, making minor repairs and advising you if you need more extensive service like major repairs or an entire furnace replacement

If you decide to wing it and fire up your furnace without a professional tune-up service, you may experience some pretty unfortunate hazards right when winter is at its peak:

  • Damage to home/pipes if furnace breaks when you are not home
  • Poor/nonexistent heating
  • High energy bills
  • Increased impact on the environment
  • Leaking gas
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Fire or explosion
  • Lack of options during supply shortages
  • Lack of availability during supply shortages

What to Expect: Furnace Tune-up Checklist

This extensive HVAC tune-up checklist can really maximize the strength and efficiency of your furnace. It offers homeowners superior preventative maintenance for a long winter of nearly full-time operation. It can also save you the expense of emergency repair calls or even the cost of a new furnace. 

What Can Furnace Tune-Ups Detect?

Your inspection can help you resolve a number of issues before the cold weather sets in. Here are some of the most common problems that our technicians detect during the furnace tune-up process: 

  • Thermostat won’t turn on heat
  • Furnace on but no heat
  • Furnace fan runs but no heat
  • Thermocouple is corroded
  • Furnace is out of date
  • Furnace is out of service
  • Leaks
  • Rust
  • High efficiency furnace main burner shuts off after initial ignition
  • Furnace not heating enough/not heating at all
  • Electric heater not working
  • Furnace blower motor not working
  • Furnace not turning on after summer
  • Not powerful enough to reach all vents
  • Cold air blowing from vents
  • Pilot not lighting
  • Furnace won’t ignite

While many of these problems can be resolved with general furnace maintenance, some of them may be too dangerous or difficult to repair. When these types of issues occur, your technician may recommend a new furnace installation

When Will an HVAC Technician Recommend Furnace Replacement?

No HVAC technician wants to give a customer the bad news that it’s time for a furnace replacement. We know unexpected furnace replacement costs can be an unpleasant surprise for anyone. At Flow Right, we try our hardest to maintain a furnace for as long as it is safe to operate (and performs well for the customer).

However, sometimes, a furnace is simply too damaged, outdated, inefficient or dangerous to keep it installed. If your HVAC technician is recommending replacement, it is likely due to the following reasons:

  • Furnace Age: If your furnace is so old that it is impossible to find parts or it is operating on obsolete technology, your technician may recommend replacing it. Older furnaces may not have the safety ratings, efficiencies or optimizations of newer furnaces. In some extreme cases, a new furnace costs less than the time, effort and cost of a repair.
  • Furnace Condition: Your furnace is rusty, bent, grimy and grinding with damaged components, your technician should recommend replacement. This type of damage leaves you vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning, gas leaks, fire danger, air contamination and other harmful problems. 
  • Furnace Type: Do you have an obscure furnace with a hard-to-find fuel? Is it so unique that your technicians struggle to find parts or can only find parts at a premium? Or, do you have a gas furnace when you would prefer an electric? 
  • New HVAC Needs: Your existing furnace should be designed to meet the needs of your home. However, once you add on square footage or make changes like removing carpeting, adding windows or opening your ceilings, you’re adding a new level of operation to your HVAC system that requires a more powerful furnace or the addition of modifications like mini splits. 

Schedule Your Pre-Season HVAC Tune-up ASAP!

Whether you’re reading this in anticipation of a long, cold Colorado winter, or you’re just hoping to be extra efficient by getting a head start in the summer or early fall, scheduling a furnace tune-up will help extend the life of your furnace, help it operate more efficiently and help you have peace of mind every time you turn up the thermostat. If you would like to schedule a furnace tune-up as part of your regular maintenance plan, give Flow Right Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electric a call. We’ll help you make it right — Flow Right. 

Schedule a furnace tune-up, including exam, cleaning and filter replacement, by calling 569-7604. We’ll help you get your furnace in great shape!

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