When the temperature outside drops and inclement weather moves in, the only thing you want to do is retreat to the comfort of your nice, warm home. We’ve all spent long, cold days looking forward to opening the door to a toasty, heated home.
Sometimes, however, when you start your HVAC system, you discover a problem. Maybe the furnace seems to be struggling to achieve your desired temperature. Maybe there are rooms that are colder than others. Perhaps you’ve noticed a rise in your energy bills or a drop in indoor air quality. All of these could be signs of a malfunctioning furnace.
While you depend on your furnace for home comfort, your furnace depends on you for maintenance. An occasional furnace checkup by a licensed HVAC professional is absolutely critical to ensure that it continues to function effectively.
Why Should I Have My Furnace Checked Regularly?
As with any complex piece of machinery, your furnace tends to lose efficiency over time, simply due to gradual wear and tear and the buildup of dirt and residue from regular operations. At first, this may not be noticeable. However, when not addressed, it can eventually cause the furnace to perform with lower efficiency. This means that it will have to work harder to do the same job and that you will have to pay more in energy costs to get the same results from your heating system. Changing standards in energy efficiency may also mean you need to upgrade your furnace and other appliances to meet new, higher requirements.
Regular furnace checkups are also crucial for home comfort. A neglected furnace may fail to provide adequate heat, or it may cycle dust and dirt throughout the home instead of clean air. This can reduce indoor air quality and exacerbate allergies and other respiratory conditions.
A regularly scheduled inspection of the furnace and its parts can also help to lower the risk of an unexpected, catastrophic failure. If even one critical part of your furnace fails, it can cause the whole system to shut down. This can leave your home uncomfortably cold and even uninhabitable during the coldest times of the year.
What Do Technicians Do During a Furnace Checkup?
When you schedule a checkup as part of your regular HVAC maintenance program, your professional contractor will go down a checklist and make sure everything is in good working order. Checklists may differ slightly depending on the contractor and the age, make, and model of the furnace, but they will include all the major mechanical and electrical parts that allow your furnace to keep your home warm.
Some of the items on the checklist will include:
Burners
If you have a traditional HVAC system in your home, it most likely generates heat by burning fossil fuels, such as natural gas or propane. Alternative fuels include wood, coal, and oil. In most cases, the fuel is pumped into a combustion chamber and burned, releasing its stored energy in the form of heat.
Over time, the residue generated from the continuous burning of these materials will build up on the burners, restricting the flow of fuel. This can prevent your furnace from achieving the necessary temperatures for a comfortable home. Your HVAC professional will typically clean the burners on a furnace as a part of their regular checkup.
Electrical Connections
While your furnace may use fossil fuel to actually generate heat, all the other components are electric. This includes the thermostat, which controls the on-and-off cycling of the system itself. If there is a faulty electrical connection in the thermostat, the furnace itself won’t operate effectively, which can reduce its overall energy efficiency. Furnace checkups include an inspection of the thermostat and various electrical components of the furnace and HVAC system.
Valves and Seals
There are several valves and connections used to transfer either fuel or heated air from one part of the furnace to the next. If a leak occurs somewhere, it can cause a drop in fuel pressure that will prevent enough heat energy from being generated in the combustion chamber. Your HVAC technician will check valves and seals to ensure there are no leaks.
Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger is the element that transfers heat from the combustion of the fuel source itself into the air. The part referred to as the exchanger is usually a metal plate or tube that allows heat to move from the combustion chamber into the air without allowing harmful byproducts through. Over time, however, the heat exchanger may crack or become covered in a buildup of burned fuel residue. If this occurs, it can limit your furnace’s functionality or even allow toxic gases to enter your home. An HVAC professional will check for residue and clean the exchanger if necessary.
Filters
Your HVAC system is also outfitted with filters that prevent it from simply cycling and recycling dust and debris throughout your home. A regular furnace checkup will include either cleaning or replacing these filters, so they continue to perform their duties at maximum capacity, which is critical for maintaining good air quality in the home.
Fan
A fan or blower motor is responsible for circulating heated air throughout the home. In most traditional HVAC systems, it simply blows heated air throughout the home’s system of ductwork. Without it, there would be no way for the heat energy to reach each room. Your furnace technician will check the fan and its component parts as they go down their checklist.
Who Can Do the Checkup?
A furnace checkup should always be performed by an experienced, licensed HVAC professional. Look for NATE certification, meaning that your contractor has passed the rigorous exams of the North American Technician Excellence program. They must also carry proper insurance and have a thorough understanding of electrical elements and air quality procedures.
Finding the correct contractor is easy in some locations. In Ohio, you can work with All Weather Heating & Cooling. But you may have to shop around, talk to neighbors, or check references. Don’t be afraid to contact an HVAC company you are considering discussing your needs with them directly. A good contractor will be able to advise you on the specific needs your home may have and will work closely with you to ensure customer satisfaction.
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