A common mistake Buckeye homeowners make is not scheduling heating service until there’s a problem. That reactive approach can cost you a lot more money over the life of the equipment. Let’s explore the money savings and other reasons you should schedule heating maintenance every fall.
Wear and Tear
Through normal usage, all heating systems experience normal wear and tear throughout the winter, no matter how mild it may be. Consider that heating systems typically cycle on two or three times an hour and run for 10 to 15 minutes each time. In Ohio, you’re often operating your system like that from late September to early May. That’s a considerable amount of wear and tear, and left unchecked, it can accumulate into serious deterioration.
During a tune-up, a technician will perform a model-specific multipoint inspection and comprehensive cleaning. The technician will lubricate moving parts and tighten mechanical and electrical connections. Beyond preventing breakdowns, maintenance also affects how comfortable your home feels.
Comfort
Another reason to schedule routine maintenance is to ensure optimal comfort throughout the winter. A cleaner, more efficient system will result in more consistent temperatures and more even heating. You won’t experience cold spots in rooms or sharp temperature differences between floors. The heating will be faster and more robust, and it won’t cycle on too frequently or run for extended periods.
Carbon Monoxide and Poor Air Quality
Poorly maintained heating systems can undermine your indoor air quality. Carbon deposits on burners can result in increased airborne particulate matter. Furnaces that run too often or for extended periods can contribute to excess dust accumulation. Heat pumps can have microbial growth on the coils, resulting in musty odors and even making you sick.
Seasonal maintenance is also particularly important for fuel-fired systems due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. A technician will check the common culprits, including cracked heat exchangers and gaps in the combustion chamber. It’s important to test the exhaust system and ensure that there aren’t any potential backdraft scenarios. Efficiency is another area where regular maintenance pays off.
Energy Efficiency
Perhaps the best reason to schedule seasonal heating maintenance is that it can pay for itself. That’s because clean, well-tuned heating systems are more efficient. That can make a significant difference in your fuel and/or electric bills throughout the wintertime. Systems can lose 15% or more of their efficiency through poor maintenance and old age. Another consideration is your household’s carbon footprint. In the average Ohio household, heating is second only to the air conditioning in contributions to environmental impact.
Proactive Repairs
A well-maintained heating system is much less prone to unexpected repairs that can be expensive and inconvenient. One reason, as mentioned, is that a technician will correct normal wear and tear. Another is that the technician can recommend proactive repairs. It’s cheaper and more convenient to replace a worn blower belt now, for instance, than wait for it to fail. Other parts that can benefit from proactive replacement include wires, ball bearings, and capacitors.
Longer Heating Equipment Lifespans
Think of routine maintenance as an investment in your home’s heating system. The industry estimates that the average lifespan of a gas furnace is about 12 years. With proper maintenance, gas furnaces can last 15 to 20 years, and electric furnaces can last upward of 30. That can have a significant effect on your total cost of ownership. Another point to consider is that a well-maintained heating system will age more gracefully. Without maintenance, heating systems can lose as much as 1% efficiency per year. Those potentially permanent losses can force you to replace a system that’s still otherwise functional. Finally, there’s the financial side many people overlook.
Warranty Protection
Many homeowners are surprised to learn that most HVAC warranties require regular professional maintenance as a condition of coverage. That’s because statistics show that well-maintained systems are far less susceptible to major repairs. When an HVAC technician completes seasonal maintenance, they’ll provide you with documentation of that service. Should you ever need to file a warranty claim, that’s the documentation you’ll need to include with it. Without that paperwork, the manufacturer can deny your claim for that reason alone.
Fall Heating Maintenance in Fulton County and Beyond
Based in Archbold, OH, Fraas Heating & Cooling has been providing heating maintenance throughout Fulton County since 1870. We perform tune-ups for boilers, radiant heating systems, furnaces, heat pumps, hybrid heating, ductless mini-splits, and much more. Our company also offers a maintenance plan that can save you money while making seasonal tune-ups more convenient. To learn more about the plan or schedule an appointment, call today or contact us online.
