Fall HVAC Maintenance

Furnaces

Why Get Furnace Maintenance Before the Heating Season Starts?

Why Get Furnace Maintenance Before the Heating Season Starts?

While it's still early in the fall, it's not too early to begin thinking about scheduling furnace maintenance. If you wait until the busy late fall/early winter HVAC season, you may have trouble scheduling a timely appointment. A professional furnace maintenance tuneup will provide multiple benefits, including energy efficiency, safety, and comfort.

Why Is Regular Furnace Maintenance So Important?

  • Energy efficiency - The technician will check every component of your furnace, as well as the ductwork and registers. He or she will check the air filter, lubricate moving parts in the blower, make sure the burner(s) are clean, and check the ignition system for proper operation. Any worn or malfunctioning parts will be repaired or replaced. A cleanly burning, efficiently operating furnace will save energy every month, ensuring that it's operating at or near its Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating.

  • Safety - The technician will examine the furnace and exhaust system to make sure nothing poses a risk of fire or toxic emissions. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a byproduct of fuel combustion and in a properly operating furnace will be safely removed from the home. However, if exhaust pipes are not connected properly or the furnace heat exchanger is cracked—among other issues—CO may escape into the home, threatening occupants with injury or death.

  • Comfort - The more efficiently your furnace operates, the quicker and more evenly your home will heat. Problems with air distribution and ductwork can erode comfort in a home.

  • Long-term savings - An efficient combustion furnace will save on utility bills over the long haul. Plus, having a trained technician inspect the furnace annually will ensure that small problems won't develop into large ones and extend the service life of your furnace.

At Air Assurance, we offer an Extended Service Plan that includes annual maintenance on both your heating and cooling systems. This offers a number of benefits and savings. However, you're also welcome to schedule a fall furnace maintenance appointment on its own. To discuss proper care for your home's heating system, please contact us at Air Assurance, serving Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Globalphotogroup/Shutterstock”

HVAC system

It's Time for Fall HVAC Maintenance! Here's What You Need to Know

It's Time for Fall HVAC Maintenance! Here's What You Need to Know

Emergency repairs to your HVAC system are not only expensive, they are often very inconvenient. You may have to wait for hours on the hottest or coldest day of the year for a technician to have time to address the issue. No one can second guess all of the things that can go wrong with an appliance, but regular maintenance can often spare you many uncomfortable hours. Follow these basic steps for fall HVAC maintenance to minimize your frustrations.

Address basic housekeeping tasks first.

Visually inspect air filters monthly. Clean or replace them as necessary. Dirty air filters force the fan to work harder, draining energy and wearing out the motor. An added benefit of a clean filter is cleaner air, helping you breathe easier. Remove dirt and debris that has collected around the unit. Sweep, vacuum, or dust around the coils and exposed parts. Black stains around air registers can indicate dirty HVAC ductwork, poor air filter maintenance, or furnace malfunctions. Add weather stripping to doors and windows to eliminate cold drafts.

Check thermostats.

Adjust settings as dictated by the weather to ensure that the system maintains a comfortable temperature in the home. Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust temperatures during periods when the home is unoccupied to save energy and money. In colder months, set the temperature to 68 degrees during waking hours and as low as 60 degrees while sleeping.

Schedule a maintenance check.

An HVAC professional will inspect electrical connections to make sure they are secure and delivering the correct voltage and current for optimal performance. The technician will lubricate moving parts to eliminate friction in the motor and extend its life. The technician will also check fuel connections for dirt, damage, leaks, and safety hazards, as well as inspect the condensate drain to make sure it is not clogged.

When it's time for you to schedule fall HVAC maintenance, contact the NATE-certified professionals at Air Assurance. Be sure to ask about our Extended Service Protection Plan. Our team includes the largest full-service HVAC fleet in the Tulsa metropolitan area, making our customers comfortable for 30 years!

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Taiga/Shutterstock”