ROUTE-RECOVERY

A contempo blog post well-nigh fall maintenance mentioned having your furnace inspected/tuned upward by a qualified heating contractor annually. One reader sent an email asking if this was really necessary – hither's his original question:

"I have a question about furnace tune-ups. You say get one every year – is that actually necessary? What do the HVAC guys actually do to the furnace to 'tune' it upwardly? There's no spark plugs to supervene upon similar a automobile melody-up, and my understanding is they basically vacuum out grit and inspect it. Couldn't the homeowner do this himself? Or do I really demand to pay $80-$150 every year for a professional person to exercise it?"

These are slap-up questions worthy of a post all on their own.

Are annual furnace inspections actually necessary?

Furnace manufacturers all recommend annual inspections and maintenance by a qualified technician. They also accept linguistic communication in their warranties proverb that impairment to the units caused by improper maintenance is not covered under the warranty. Does this mean that an annual furnace checkup is really required, or the warranty is voided? Probably not, but it'south recommended. The best illustration is going to the dentist every half-dozen months for a checkup and cleaning; probably non necessary, but recommended.

Some HVAC contractors recommend getting newer furnaces checked every other year, but once they're more than 10 years old, have them checked annually.

What practice HVAC technicians actually practice to the furnace to "tune" it up?

Information technology depends. Co-ordinate to Chris Jirak, a heating guy who has worked for several firms over a period of 25 years, the service you go when you purchase a $29 Groupon bargain is going to be quite unlike from a $200 "tune-up." Jirak said that every contractor he has e'er worked for has had advisedly worded language with subtle differences in the descriptions, making it nearly impossible to compare services betwixt unlike heating companies. A few services you may have heard of are "safety bank check," "certification," "checkup," "tune-up," "basic tune-up," "complete tune-upwardly" and "almanac maintenance checkup."

There seems to exist no industry standard for a furnace (or banality) melody-up, so what's included in a "tune-up" will vary greatly from company to visitor. If you lot're going to hire a heating contractor to practice a tune-up on your furnace, inquire them what they'll be doing. Included below is a partial list of generic stuff that dissimilar furnace manufacturers recommend be performed annually by a qualified heating technician:

  • The vent system needs to be checked for blockage and/or leakage. This includes the exterior termination and the connections at and internal to the furnace.
  • Combustion gases must be analyzed and compared to the unit specifications.
  • The blower access door needs to be checked to make certain it makes a tight seal at the furnace.
  • The fresh air intake grills and louvers demand to be checked for blockage.
  • The estrus exchanger needs to be inspected for rust and corrosion.
  • The burners need to be checked for proper ignition, burner flame and flame sense.
  • The drainage system needs to be checked for blockage and/or leakage. This includes the hoses internal to the furnace. The condensate drain and trap need to be cleaned, and the water replaced in the trap.
  • The blower wheel needs to be checked for debris and cleaned if necessary (this requires complete removal of the blower wheel).
  • An amp-draw examination should exist conducted on the blower motor and compared with what is listed.
  • The wiring needs to be checked for corrosion and damage.
  • The filters need to be checked (but this needs to be washed much more frequently than annually).

In improver to this list, heating contractors say that they regularly practice static air pressure checks, gas pressure testing and temperature rise checks.

Could the homeowner exercise this?

Of course, but the only homeowners who are knowledgeable plenty to practise all the tasks listed above likewise happen to be heating contractors. If the just thing your furnace tech does is stick a vacuum nozzle into the furnace and suck a little dust out, sure, practise it yourself. If your furnace tech does one-half the stuff on the list above, they're earning their proceed.

Before you hire a company to do a tune-up on your furnace, ask what's included. The company doing the work should be able to quickly rattle off a long listing of stuff they'll be checking.

Do I really need to pay $lxxx-$150 every twelvemonth for a professional to do it?

In short, yeah. This is what a professional charges — maybe even more. For nigh heating contractors, $80 barely covers the trip charge. Keep in mind, this isn't just near safety; it's also nigh preventive maintenance. Information technology'southward almost sometimes catching a trouble before your furnace quits working in the center of the night. When y'all have to rent a heating contractor to show upwards on a Dominicus evening because the furnace stopped working, you're probably going to cease up paying emergency rates.

Read More From Zillow:

  • What Is Water Hammer?
  • Bug With Flipped Houses
  • How to Choose a Domicile Inspector