Most heating systems cost thousands of dollars and play an essential role in how comfortable you stay when the cooler weather hits your city. If you don’t take care of the system with regular maintenance, it has a much higher risk of experiencing problems when you need it most.
Forgetting to Change the Air Filter Harms the Indoor Air Quality
Take a few moments to locate the filter on your furnace. It’s usually in one of three spots: either inside a slot on the side of the furnace, in a filter cabinet attached to the system, or behind the return air grille.
Most systems need their filter changed once every 30 to 90 days. When you fail to perform this crucial maintenance, the system may experience unnecessary wear and tear because a clogged filter restricts airflow. Even worse, instead of filtering airborne contaminants, those pollutants will go straight back into the air you breathe since the filter no longer has the capacity to trap them effectively.
Your Heating Costs Will Rise
When you put furnace maintenance on the back burner, the system won’t run nearly as efficiently as it does with regular upkeep. Dirty burners, misaligned blowers, and worn-out parts create massive internal friction that robs your equipment of its natural heating power. The result is a unit that consumes more energy, which ends up skyrocketing your monthly heating costs.
Your Home Is Likely to Have Hot and Cold Spots
Putting regular maintenance at the bottom of your to-do list will also compromise the equipment’s ability to evenly distribute air throughout the whole home, especially to the rooms that are furthest away from the furnace. This frequently happens when the fan blades get caked in dirt, preventing them from being able to spin at their optimal speeds. The drop in airflow velocity can easily leave your upper-floor rooms and far-end bedrooms feeling much cooler than the rest of the house.
The System Has a Higher Risk of Breaking Down Unexpectedly
When your furnace doesn’t receive annual checkups, you’re basically taking a huge gamble with your comfort and safety. The system has a much higher risk of breaking down when you need it most since you won’t have a professional technician cleaning the internal parts, lubricating moving joints, and testing safety switches. What’s even worse is that when you skip maintenance, this can void any warranty you have on the equipment, which means when it breaks down because of a covered mechanical failure, you likely won’t have coverage to help pay for the repairs.
The best way to avoid all of the issues mentioned above is to set a reminder to change the air filter regularly and to book yearly tune-ups with a reputable HVAC company. If any of the parts are worn out, the technician can replace them before they result in a system failure. Make sure the technician gives you documentation of each service visit so you can prove that the furnace was properly maintained according to the warranty requirements. When you need furnace services in Central GA and the FL Panhandle, contact We Care Heating & Air Conditioning.