Winters in this part of the country can be brutally cold. The worst of it typically comes right after New Year’s. That’s when you’ll depend on your home’s furnace the most. Here are four reasons to schedule a furnace tune-up to start the new year.
1. To Prevent Unexpected Breakdowns
The colder it gets, the more often your furnace turns on to keep your home warm. Unsurprisingly, the added demand increases the odds of a breakdown. Scheduling a furnace tune-up in the new year provides an opportunity to discover minor problems before they worsen. That allows you to make repairs on your own time rather than during a heating emergency.
2. To Reduce Heating Bills
You may not realize it, but the average furnace can lose up to 5% of its efficiency each year without maintenance. With energy costs constantly on the rise, that kind of loss can hurt your family budget in a hurry. Scheduling a furnace tune-up in the new year can slow or eliminate those efficiency losses. A furnace tune-up includes a thorough cleaning of your furnace’s burners, blower fan, and heat exchanger. It also includes lubricating your furnace’s moving parts. Both help ensure your furnace runs at peak efficiency all winter long.
3. To Ensure Your Family’s Safety
Furnaces are so reliable that it’s easy to forget they can be dangerous when they malfunction. A furnace tune-up includes a complete inspection of your furnace and its safety systems. If yours is a gas furnace, those include limit switches and flame sensors. If you have an electric furnace, they include overload sensors and automatic shutoff mechanisms. Ensuring all those safety systems remain in working order can reduce the odds of fires and fuel leaks.
4. To Improve Your Comfort
A furnace that goes too long without maintenance can develop a variety of issues that reduce your comfort. Buildup of dust and dirt on your furnace’s heat exchanger can reduce air output temperatures. Also, your furnace’s blower motor can face resistance that harms airflow. Both can lead to uncomfortable hot and cold spots in your home. A furnace tune-up rectifies those problems and ensures even heating throughout your home.
During a furnace tune-up, you can also expect a check of your home’s thermostat. It may require recalibration over time to continue sensing conditions in your home accurately. A properly calibrated thermostat will improve both your comfort and your home’s energy efficiency.
If your home’s furnace hasn’t had any professional attention in some time, the new year is the perfect time to correct that. Contact Paragon Mechanical today for a furnace repair or a maintenance visit in Arlington Heights, IL.
