With the seemingly endless list of fall and winter home maintenance tasks, tuning up your furnace may be a low-priority item. However, this simple task offers several cost-saving and health benefits that make it worthwhile.
Here are some clear benefits of tuning up your furnace each fall.
Lower Repair Costs
Some homeowners neglect this task due to the perceived costs. While a professional tune-up does cost money, it ultimately pays for itself. During a furnace tune-up, the specialist makes adjustments and repairs that help prevent additional damage. This proactive task presents an opportunity to take care of small issues before they become significant repairs.
Some furnace specialists also offer a maintenance program that includes minor repairs while discounting more extensive repairs and parts costs. These services are a great option for maintaining the furnace without adding more to the to-do list.
Less Downtime
Furnace downtime can be deadly in some areas. When winter temperatures plummet below zero, having an operational furnace can be a matter of life and death for those with limited resources.
Furnace downtime also poses other problems. If it takes too long to get an emergency repair call, your pipes could freeze and burst, causing expensive damage.
Even without these extreme circumstances, furnace downtime is uncomfortable and inconvenient. Tuning up your furnace reduces the risk of emergency repair needs and heating downtime.
Better Energy-Efficiency
The better your furnace runs, the lower your home heating costs will be. As time goes by, your home heating system experiences regular wear and tear. These issues cause the system to work harder to accomplish the same heating output. As a result, your furnace requires more fuel or energy to operate.
Tune-up appointments help slow down wear and tear and correct issues that could be causing inefficiencies, like loose connections or dirty filters.
Longer Lifespan
The average furnace lasts around 15-20 years, but a well-maintained furnace can last closer to 30 years. As home heating is a core system, it can be costly to replace. Depending on the age and type of your existing system, upgrading could also require additional HVAC work.
Tuning up your furnace helps it last longer. If you were to live in your home for 50 years, an annual tune-up could be the difference between replacing your furnace once or replacing it three times.
Improved Air Quality
Your HVAC system is one of the major factors in your home’s air quality. If the furnace isn’t operating efficiently, you could be experiencing excess allergens and debris in your home. Poorly monitored humidity exposes your household to mold growth. Additionally, any undetected chemical leaks could expose your family to toxins.
It’s worth noting that a malfunctioning furnace can also release carbon monoxide into your home, putting your health and wellness at risk. Tuning up your furnace will help prevent these issues and detect them earlier to minimize the effect.
Trusted Replacement Vendor
Finally, scheduling an annual furnace tune-up will help you build a rapport with a trustworthy furnace vendor who knows your home system. This is a valuable relationship to have when it’s time for a furnace upgrade or replacement.
Keep these considerations in mind the next time you move furnace maintenance down your priority list.