When Should I Clean and Service My Furnace?

Your furnace does the heavy lifting during the winter months to keep you and your family warm and cozy through freezing temperatures and windy weather in the Denver Metro area. Your only job in return is to ensure that the furnace operates at maximum efficiency with no significant issues by scheduling a yearly maintenance service.

How Often Should The Furnace be Cleaned?

If you think that maintenance isn’t necessary because your furnace isn’t that old, think again. Routine care is what keeps your furnace running smoothly without any hiccups or preventable repairs.

Why Should I get My Furnace Cleaned?

Find out the top ten reasons why you should schedule your annual furnace maintenance sooner rather than later.

Eliminate Bad Surprises

If you have ever woken up on a cold, sunny winter morning and crawled out from under the covers to discover that you can see your morning breath, you have experienced the nasty surprise of a furnace that has stopped working on a whim. Scheduling annual furnace maintenance before the coldest of winter weather rolls in will ensure that you won’t be standing around in the cold. At the same time, you’re waiting for your emergency technician to arrive, you’re wasting time and money that could have been saved.

Avoid Emergency Repairs

Emergency repairs can be costly but are often necessary when your furnace is not regularly maintained. To safely make it through the coldest days and nights in the Denver metro area, you may have to call in an emergency repair service at the most inopportune times. Many repairs services do offer 24/7 service, but it comes at a high cost. Prices can dramatically increase if services are required after regular business hours, on the weekends, and especially on holidays. Nearly everyone has heard of a New Year’s Eve or a Thanksgiving Day furnace failure crisis, but you don’t have to let it be you.

Less Money In Maintenance

When you schedule routine maintenance, your furnace is a well-oiled machine. Parts and functions are monitored yearly for any hiccups or malfunctions, and issues are corrected as they are identified. When you do not schedule annual furnace maintenance, issues may compound over time because they were not ever corrected, often causing more problems and costing more money in the long run. The annual maintenance fee usually costs several times less than any major repairs caused by systems failures.

Protect Your Health

Inefficient furnaces do little to eliminate drafts in homes. People susceptible to adverse reactions to cold and moisture may respond poorly if their furnaces do not work at the proper power they should. A furnace ready for winter is meant to heat and maintain an expressly set temperature. If that temperature is not supported, health problems can arise, especially for older homeowners aging in place.

Save on Bills

Another downside to an inefficiently performing furnace is a dramatic increase in your utility bills. You can generally expect the same average amount on your utility bills each year with annual professional maintenance. Many people can plan for heating and cooling costs by budgeting and allocating all year long. When your furnace is inefficient, the spike in heating and cooling can cause outrageous bills that affect your spending.

Maintain Your Warranty

Many warranties require certain conditions like annual furnace maintenance to be met to remain valid. In many cases, regular maintenance is necessary for a warranty to stay active. If you do not schedule maintenance as required on your contract, you may void future coverage that could end up costing you a lot of money. Be sure to investigate the specifics of your warranty and determine when you should schedule your maintenance because some terms are different than others.

Prevent Safety Issues

Carbon monoxide poisoning affects Americans every year, and nearly 500 perish in preventable deaths. Installing a carbon monoxide alarm will help mitigate this safety issue in the Denver metro area. With this knowledge, maintaining the safety of your furnace should be your number one issue moving forward. While older furnaces are often the frequent cause of carbon monoxide leaks, there have been faulty parts and operational problems known to cause deadly leaks in newer models too. If you suspect a carbon monoxide leak in your home, contact poison control and a professional HVAC servicing company immediately.

Signs of carbon monoxide leaks include:

  • Condensation where the furnace is located
  • Soot or black streaks on furnace
  • Brown or yellow marks on furnace
  • Any abnormal smells
  • The pilot light is yellow instead of blue
  • Some people report a sulphuric burning smell
  • Carbon monoxide alarm is activated

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Chest pain
  • Blurred vision
  • Confusion
  • Loss of consciousness

Increase Furnace Efficiency

One of the most charming parts about winter is grabbing a pair of fuzzy socks and a blanket and curling up on the couch with a warm beverage to enjoy a movie or some television. However, it isn’t charming if you have to pile on ten different blankets and a snowsuit just to stay warm inside the house. If your furnace is set at 68 degrees, but the internal temperature feels more like 8 degrees, there’s a good chance that your furnace is not operating at full efficiency. Annual maintenance will help identify why your furnace is behaving so badly and hopefully fix the issues at hand. While waiting for your scheduled appointment, ensure that you’re regularly changing your furnace filter as directed.

Extend Furnace Life

Regularly changing your furnace filter every one to three months is best for all homeowners to increase efficiency and extend your furnace’s life. However, swapping out filters won’t solve all your problems, even if you use fancy filters. Some jobs are best left to the professionals who perform the annual furnace inspection in your home. Trained professionals will be able to quickly diagnose the problem and identify solutions, extending the life of your furnace by fixing the problem before more damage can accrue.

Save for the Future

HVAC professionals are trained to quickly and efficiently diagnose heating and cooling issues, and they are also trained to determine multiple solutions to the same problem. Varying solutions allow homeowners to fix an issue completely or just well enough for the time being until they can save for the more substantial repair or even for replacement. By scheduling annual maintenance, you will have a better handle on what outstanding expenses you may have coming your way rather than being shocked by the cost of a new furnace. Often, you can work with HVAC companies on financing solutions and budgeting timelines for major services.

Schedule Annual Furnace Maintenance

Annual furnace maintenance is a regular low-cost way to keep your furnace running smoothly and efficiently with minimal effort from you. All you need to do is schedule your yearly furnace maintenance appointment with The Weather Changers if you’re in the Denver metro area. Professional technicians will service your furnace and prepare it for colder months while diagnosing any outstanding issues before the biting cold rolls in for winter.

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