How Regularly Should You Tune Up Your Furnace?

September 30, 2020

Between professional lawn care and raking, you likely do a variety of tasks to get your yard ready for colder temperatures. Inside your home, your furnace is similar. It also needs service to keep it working correctly during the fall and winter.

But how frequently should you maintain your furnace in Greater Richmond? What if it’s new? Or operating well? Is maintenance necessary then? Let’s go over why furnace maintenance is needed and how frequently you should request it.

Why Furnace Service is Needed

Your furnace is essential to keeping your home comfy during chilly temperatures. When it’s frequently tuned up, you’ll have worry-free, efficient heating. If you regularly avoid maintenance, your furnace can become dirty. This can cause your furnace to work more than it needs to and, as a result, enlarge your utility costs. A lack of service could also lead your furnace to break down, leaving you with expensive repair bills that could have been stopped in a lot of outcomes.

One of the most critical steps you can do without help is consistently replacing your furnace’s air filter. When your filter gets dusty, your furnace might start responding by doing something referred to as short cycling, where it switches on and off more frequently to avoid overheating. Not only does this affect your heating bills, it also reduces your furnace’s life cycle since it’s running more often.

If you’re using a flat filter, we suggest putting in a new one at minimum every 30 days. Pleated filters can keep filtering up to three months. An easy way to find out whether you need to get a fresh filter is by removing it and holding it up to the light. If you don’t detect light through it, you should replace it.

However, how regularly you should get a new filter depends on how often your furnace heats, if you have pets and if anyone in your residence has allergies. The Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling professionals can assist you if you don’t know how regularly you should get a new filter or what the ideal model is for your furnace.

How Often You Should Schedule Furnace Maintenance

We advise doing furnace maintenance in Greater Richmond yearly, if possible during the time between air conditioning and heating season. This will give you an advantage in the event you require any repairs and will ensure you enjoy headache-free heat all winter long. It also keeps your manufacturer’s warranty ongoing, which is important if you have a new furnace.

Besides getting a new air filter and keeping your register grates free of buildup, we don’t advise trying furnace maintenance without help from a professional. Your furnace is a complex machine that demands assistance from a heating and cooling professional. All our friendly Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling techs have gone through thorough training to better serve you. They’re also completely licensed and insured, providing you peace of mind that your heating system is in good hands.

Here are some of things we’ll complete on our maintenance visit:

  • Inspect crucial parts of your furnace, including the heat exchanger, blower and burner.
  • Clean the inside of your furnace, as well as the flame sensor, burner and blower.
  • Look at the flue to verify it’s venting correctly.
  • Evaluate complete furnace operation for safety and optimal operation.

Right away is a great time to book your furnace maintenance appointment with Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. Our specialists are here to help you have a worry-free winter with energy-efficient heat. Contact us at 804-302-6657 to set your appointment right away, and don’t forget to browse our offers for exclusive discounts on your next maintenance appointment.