Fall is traditionally a slow time in the HVAC industry. The leaves begin to fall, the extreme heat of the summer is done, and most homeowners have turned off their air conditioner and opened the windows for fresh air. It’s one of the mildest times of the year, especially in Columbus, Ohio.
It’s also a great time to get your furnace tuned up before the cold of winter arrives, as most heating contractors are not very busy. Frankly, it’s a way to keep our HVAC service technicians busy and getting paid while we wait for the heating season to begin.
Normally, by waiting until January, you’d probably be calling us for a broken-down furnace – not for a tune-up. But this year, you’re in luck! Because of the mild temperatures during the early days of this winter, many of our homes’ furnaces have not been fully tested at capacity. We don’t really know if they’re going to hold up when the temperature dips below the low 30’s. Those are the business days of the year for us, when the furnace becomes a MUST and is no longer just a convenience.
You might think your furnace is invincible, not needing routine maintenance. If you’ve rolled the dice up to now, and your furnace still turns on and heats the house, you should go buy a lottery ticket before you luck runs out. Just like your motor vehicle needs an oil and filter change from time to time, your furnace needs a thorough going over once a year.
What’s the Value of a Little Prevention?
Our experience is that getting your furnace tuned up by a professional HVAC technician each Fall or early Winter is that it gives him the opportunity to find and fix relatively minor problems before they turn into major issues.
As trained and experienced heating professionals, our technicians know all the early warning signs of trouble on the horizon. Things the average homeowner wouldn’t know about (unless they own, and are trained on, some of the expensive, high-tech test equipment we use) are glaring issues to the pros. Homeowners don’t usually see or hear these issues until they detect a nasty odor, their furnace is making weird noises, or it won’t start or maintain heat properly.
Our furnace tune-ups include a complete multi-point inspection. It’s a solid idea to confirm exactly what they’re checking with whomever is performing your inspection, or perhaps even ask for the checklist. Our techs will be happy to oblige. Here’s a quick overview of what we cover.
From “Dust” ‘til Dawn
There is a plethora of dust in the average home, including inside your furnace and ductwork. Every bit of air that comes into your home after you button it up for the Winter comes in through the heating system. A significant dust build up can easily happen without the benefit of routine maintenance, and can diminish the energy efficiency of your heating system. It could also lead to issues that may require replacing furnace parts.
As our heating technician works his way through the steps of the tune-up, he cleans carbon buildup on parts and vacuums dust particles from the inner workings of the furnace, all to ensure your furnace is ready for the task of keeping your family comfortable after the temperatures plummet.
Safety First for Your HVAC
With modern furnaces, it rarely happens… but furnaces can develop issues that can present danger to the people in your home. The most common safety problems include carbon monoxide leaks, fire hazards and electrical issues. While all three of these issues can be deadly if undetected and not repaired, they usually begin as simple, small issues that can be easily discovered during a routine tune-up.
If you think your furnace might be nearing the end of its useful life (usually 12-15 years) but you need for it to make it through one more winter without replacing it, we really suggest you get it checked out for the sake of safety of your family. It’s a small price to pay.
Spinning Records
When our HVAC service technician is finished taking measurements and readings, changing filters, vacuuming dust particles, lubricating parts and making small tweaks and repairs to the furnace, he’ll present you will a full report of your furnace’s condition and long-term maintenance needs. We also keep the records on file in our computer dispatching system, ready for any future service calls. Having this record readily available will help make the decision on upgrade timing easier in the future, considering we can watch for trends and gradual performance degradation that indicates the furnace may be nearing the end of its life. Having your existing equipment information also ensures we can get the right parts quickly and accurately to allow a fast repair.
Just like keeping maintenance records for your car when it’s time to sell, having these written records can demonstrate that you’ve properly cared for your home to any prospective buyers. These little things can help get your house sold quickly and for top dollar.
So, living in Ohio, we know the cold weather will be here. Soon. We’ve just been able to avoid it… so far this season. But it’s coming, and there is almost nothing we can do about it except prepare. Getting ready for the extreme cold by having the mechanicals of your home properly maintained is one of the best things you can do, especially for the safety and comfort of your family. After all, your home is usually the biggest investment you’ll make in your lifetime.
How We Can Help
Our team offers a wide array of routine maintenance and emergency services for your heating and cooling system, allowing your family to breathe fresh, safe, clean air and be comfortable year-round. We also offer a number of add-ons to your HVAC equipment that can improve your home’s IAQ, such as electrostatic air filters, whole-house humidifiers, duct cleaning, and more.
Schedule an appointment for HVAC system troubleshooting or maintenance with us today by using our online contact form, or call one of our seven neighborhood offices listed below. We pride ourselves on our customer-focused service, and our reviews show it.
NEWARK 740.345.6639 • COLUMBUS 614.238.6689 • DUBLIN 614.545.8939 • REYNOLDSBURG 614.365.1579 • WESTERVILLE 614.381.1540 • GROVE CITY 614.595.3098 • ZANESVILLE 740.454.2420
Dor-Mar…Your Climate Hero!
