Scenario: you’re out on the trails getting in your miles when you suspect your shoelaces are coming undone. Maybe you should stop, kneel, and retie your shoes—but you’re making great time, so why lose your momentum? But those knots aren’t getting any tighter, and before you know it, your shoes are flopping off your feet.
If you think shoelaces can let you down, imagine what can go wrong when a machine that ignites flames doesn’t get enough attention. The thought of spending money on a furnace that appears to be in working order is anathema to many homeowners. When the bills are piling up as it is, it can be hard to justify calling HVAC professionals just to check in and tell you nothing is wrong. But we cannot understate the importance of an annual furnace tune-up to maintaining the efficiency, safety, and life span of your heating system.
Efficiency
Investing in professional oversight can keep you from paying higher and higher heating bills, as routine wear and tear gradually reduces your furnace’s efficiency. An HVAC specialist can make small repairs and perform routine cleaning that keeps your furnace working smarter, not harder. They may also be able to recommend changes in air filtration. Outfitting your furnace with a MERV 8 filter can keep your air clean for six months to a year without replacement.
Ensuring Safety
The very real safety issues that can come with a gas-powered furnace can go under the radar until it’s too late. Small fractures in heat exchangers can become big cracks, which can let lethal gases such as nitric oxide and carbon monoxide into your air. A clogged intake can cause your furnace to burn hotter than it should to compensate until the heat causes the machinery to break down or catch fire. When you schedule a tune-up, the HVAC technician can identify and remedy small issues before they become dangerous.
Warranty Compliance
Few phrases in the English language can get you pulling your hair from your head quite like “You didn’t read the fine print.” On many models, the fine print on the furnace’s warranty reads that routine maintenance is necessary for those terms to remain in effect. There’s always a chance your furnace can fail while you believe it to be under warranty. Learning the hard way that you’ve unknowingly nullified your warranty by letting years go by without a tune-up can make you feel as if the ground has dropped out from under your feet.
Lifespan
A gas furnace should last anywhere from 15 to 30 years. With proper maintenance, you can reach that upper limit and defer the high costs of a full furnace replacement. But when the time to invest in a new model does come, insights from your HVAC technician can help you get an idea of when you should start shopping and for what kind of furnace. The ability to plan for a major purchase with expert guidance is a big part of the importance of an annual furnace tune-up.
