Your Furnace Needs Regular Maintenance

Few appliances impact your pocketbook as much as your furnace, Between the cost of a new furnace and installation, and your monthly heating bills, your furnace is a continual cost. With something so important to your home (and something so costly) it only makes sense to take good care of your furnace.

And yet, the furnace is the least maintained appliance in the average home. Maybe it’s because it’s tucked away in the basement, but many homeowners don’t bother to perform regular maintenance on their furnace. And unfortunately, there’s little worse you can do when it comes to keeping your furnace in good working order.

A furnace is an expensive item, so why wouldn’t you want to take care of it? Would you buy an expensive car and never change the oil? To stay in proper working order, and at peak efficiency, it is recommended you service your furnace once a year, just like your car. Some manufactures will even void the warranty if the owner has failed to maintain the furnace properly.

Hire Certified Furnace Technicians

In order to properly maintain your furnace, you should schedule an inspection with a qualified technician once a year. Unfortunately, like most things in life, you get what you pay for. A quick $30 check up will only cover the bare basics, such as changing out the air filter and cleaning the vents. That may be enough to confirm that your furnace is currently working, but it’s not adequate maintenance to prevent future issues.

It may feel like a waste to pay for a furnace technician when you’re furnace seems to be running fine. But remember, furnace maintenance is essentially a preventative measure. It’s much better to catch and fix the small troubles before they become a big problem. No one wants to end up with a seriously malfunctioning furnace in the middle of winter.

A full inspection by a qualified technician should run you between 80 and 120 dollars. This may seem like a lot to pay for an annual inspection but it’s significantly less than paying emergency rates for repairs when you wake up to a cold home in December.

What Parts of the Furnace Get Checked

There is no industry standard as to what constitutes a full maintenance check, and the exact services will vary from provider to provider. However, a full inspection should cover items such as:

  • Checking the vent system for blockage or leaks.
  • Analyzing and comparing combustion gases against the unit specifications.
  • Tight seal on the blower access door.
  • Inspect the heat exchanger for rust and corrosion.
  • The burners need to be checked for proper ignition, burner flame, and flame sense.
  • Check the drainage system needs to be checked for blockage or leakage.
  • Clean the condensate drain and trap.
  • Check wiring for corrosion and damage.

With full inspections, conducted annually by a qualified technician, you can keep your furnace running reliably and at top efficiency. That results in lower heating bills, and confidence that your furnace won’t conk out one night while you and your family are fast asleep. You’ve spent the money on an expensive furnace, it only makes sense to take proper care of it, protect your investment, and protect your family.

Your hotwater tank needs routine maintenace as well. When you sign up for a furnace routine service program with Vision Plumbing Heating Cooling, be sure to add your hotwater tank to the scheduled maintenace program. You get added peace of mind that your heating systems will be working at their best during the cold of winter, and you save $20 on your contract total for the additional appliance.

Contact Vision to book your maintenance appointment. Phone 250.470.9552 or email info@visionplumbingandheating.com