One of the most critical steps you can take for ensuring your home is always comfortable is having a professional maintain and inspect your HVAC system. In truth, it’s best to have this done before you need to start running your heating and then again the next year before you need to switch your air conditioning on. Nonetheless, if you haven’t had it done yet, you definitely should before the end of the year when it starts getting much colder at night. In this article, we’ll explain what routine HVAC maintenance involves as well as the reasons it’s so important.
Ensuring Safe Operation
One reason that maintenance is so critical is that it helps ensure your furnace operates safely. This is especially true if your home has a gas furnace; however, this can apply to electrical furnaces as well. A poorly maintained gas furnace can be a fire hazard as a result of an issue such as the flames rolling out and escaping the combustion chamber. Overheating in electrical models can also create a risk of a fire starting since it can lead to some of the electrical wiring melting. Another serious concern is if gas starts flowing and the burners don’t light since this can potentially lead to an explosion.
Modern furnaces have various safety controls like the flame roll-out sensor, temperature-limit switch and flame sensor that help prevent these various issues. Nonetheless, any of these components can fail and either lead to a safety issue arising or prevent the furnace from turning on. This is one reason annual maintenance is beneficial since the technician will inspect and test all of the safety switches and sensors.
The technician will also inspect the draft-inducer fan and make sure it’s working properly, which is important for ensuring the exhaust fumes get vented directly outside. They’ll also fully inspect the exhaust flue for the same reason. The concern if a furnace isn’t properly vented is that it can lead to carbon monoxide escaping into your house. This can also happen if the heat exchanger is cracked, which is why the technician will inspect it as well. Gas furnaces normally don’t produce carbon monoxide since natural gas normally burns cleanly and only produces water vapor and carbon dioxide. However, carbon monoxide is produced if natural gas doesn’t combust completely as a result of the flames not receiving sufficient oxygen.
Improving HVAC Performance
Whether you have a furnace or a heat pump, you can be fairly sure it will eventually not heat as effectively if you neglect to have it maintained. That’s because your HVAC system will usually end up with issues like a dirty blower, dirty burners, ductwork leaks and various other problems that limit how effectively it works. An especially important task in maintaining a heat pump is cleaning the condenser coil in the heat pump and the evaporator coil in the indoor air handler. All of these tasks are necessary to ensure your HVAC system produces as much heat as it should and that all of the heat gets effectively circulated around your entire house. Poor air circulation is an issue since it can easily lead to some parts of your house never getting as warm as you want.
Keeping Your Heating Costs Down
If your HVAC system isn’t operating at its peak, the length of each heating cycle will be longer. That means your heating costs will increase due to the system consuming more energy. This is another reason it’s worth paying for professional maintenance since it directly impacts your monthly finances. That’s especially true if you have a heat pump. Heat pumps are normally around 300% efficient, which means they use electricity to produce heat at a three-to-one ratio. If you don’t have the coils cleaned regularly and all of the other necessary maintenance tasks performed, the energy efficiency of your heat pump could drop by half or more.
Preventing Breakdowns
Longer heating cycles also lead to an HVAC system experiencing more wear and tear, which can put it at risk of breaking down. Breakdowns can occur due to issues with any of the motors as well. That’s why they need to be inspected and tested to make sure they’re pulling the correct amperage. Lubricating all of the moving parts is also essential since the motors can seize up and burn out if parts have difficulty moving.
If certain components in a gas furnace fail, the furnace won’t ever be able to run. This includes the flame sensor, electronic igniter and pressure switch. One other reason maintenance is important for ensuring your heating runs as it should is that it involves checking that the thermostat is working properly. Certain issues with a thermostat can result in it never telling the HVAC system to turn on or the system randomly shutting off before the heating cycle finishes.
Protecting the Life of Your HVAC System
One final fact you should know is that your HVAC system will almost certainly give out sooner if you don’t maintain it as often as you need to. Furnaces normally last 15-20 years, whereas heat pumps usually last 10-15 years. Without proper maintenance, the life span of either type of unit could potentially be cut in half. This is yet another reason why maintenance is a great investment in your HVAC system since it helps lengthen the amount of time until you need to pay to replace your furnace or heat pump.
Why Replacing the Air Filter Is Also a Critical Maintenance Task
Replacing your air filter whenever it starts getting dirty also makes a major difference in all of the things we’ve discussed previously. This is something you normally need to do at least every three months. However, you should remove and check the filter monthly since you may occasionally need to replace it more often. The main issue when you don’t replace the filter often enough is that it starts clogging and continually reducing the airflow coming into the system. That means you’ll have less warm air flowing out of your vents, resulting in longer heating cycles, higher heating costs, greater wear and tear and an increased chance of the system breaking down.
Benefits of Signing Up for Our Service Agreement
If you want to ensure your heating and air conditioning get the help they need, you should definitely consider signing up for the Polar Air & Heating, Inc. service agreement. As part of the agreement, we’ll fully inspect and maintain your AC in the spring and your heating unit in the fall. In addition to keeping your energy bills lower, signing up for the agreement can also save you in other ways. That’s because you’ll receive a 20% discount on any repairs your HVAC system needs and never have to pay any overtime fees should you need any emergency services. You’ll also receive a two-year warranty on any repairs as well as priority customer status that puts you at the head of the line when you need any service. If your system needs a major repair, you can get a credit for the full price of what the repair would’ve cost that you can put toward the cost of replacing your furnace, AC or heat pump.
Call for Maintenance
At Polar Air & Heating, Inc., we’re proud to be one of the best HVAC companies in Las Vegas. We’ve been serving the area since 1998, and we can professionally handle your home comfort needs when it comes to air conditioners and heaters. As a Lennox Premier Dealer, we’re able to offer the lowest prices available on all Lennox products. Our team can also maintain and repair HVAC equipment from any other manufacturer. For more information on our service agreement or to schedule a time to get your HVAC system maintained, contact us today.
