Whether you’re ready to admit it or not, cool weather is just around the corner. The end of summer means its time to schedule a fall furnace tuneup. Why is a tune-up necessary? Preventative maintenance for your HVAC system ensures equipment is functioning properly, and can detect problems before they become disasters.
Here are just a few of the areas checked during a furnace tuneup:
- Thermostat: Your thermostat’s settings are checked for accurate communication with the furnace. Your furnace tuneup is a good time to ask your technician any questions you may have about operating your programmable thermostat.
- Controls: Your technician will check the starting cycle to make sure your furnace starts, operates and shuts off properly, to ensure safety.
- Electrical connections: Power is obviously essential to operating your furnace; your technician will test connections to make sure electricity is available when needed. Voltage and the current on the furnace’s motor are also tested. Poor electrical connections lead to dangerous conditions when operating the equipment, creating safety concerns and reducing the life of your system’s components.
- Fuel connections: Gas or oil lines must be maintained to ensure safety while operating the furnace. Faulty connections not only create fire hazards, but can increase the potential for carbon monoxide to leak inside the home
- Lubrication: Moving parts within the furnace need lubrication to operate smoothly. Components lacking lubrication build friction, increasing the electricity needed to run the furnace. Friction wears out components faster and increases energy usage.
- Furnace elements: Gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger are a few of the elements checked for proper functionality. A cracked heat exchanger is probably the most serious issue that can happen to a furnace, and likely will result in the unit being “red-tagged,” or disabled, till the furnace is repaired or replaced.
While late summer heat in the San Joaquin Valley makes cold weather worries seem far away, don’t wait to care for your furnace with a proper seasonal tuneup. A healthy furnace will keep your home warm, cozy and safe when you’re wishing for the summer sun to return.
Ready to schedule your fall furnace tuneup? Contact us at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. We have been serving Fresno area residents for nearly 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnace tuneups and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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