THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A PRE-SEASON HEATER CHECK AND CLEAN
Odds are, most Hoffman Estates, IL homeowners haven’t cranked up the furnace by Labor Day. We’re still pretty much enjoying summer weather so you may even still be running your air conditioner from time to time, but that makes it the perfect time for a pre-season furnace clean and check.
Getting a tune-up before you fire up the furnace is a great idea. This way, you’ll head off problems that can crop up later. Problems such as paying too much for your utility bill and avoiding a breakdown or worse – having a carbon monoxide leak.
And, whether you’re in Hoffman Estates or Arlington Heights, East Dundee or Barrington, that’s a big deal for the wintertime. It’s no secret that we have endured some of the coldest winter weather in the continental United States.
Sure, it may not be as bad as North Dakota. But, the temperatures in towns and cities near Lake Michigan dip pretty low in January and February.
When that happens, you want to be confident that your boiler or furnace is up to the task. A pre-season check-up will go a long way toward keeping you warm all winter. Let’s look at how.
A pre-season furnace clean and check keeps you safe
One of the best reasons to get a pre-season furnace clean and check is that it can help keep your family comfortable and safe all winter. You may not think about your furnace affecting your health. But, a furnace that’s not maintained correctly can make you feel lousy. And, in an extreme case, it can make you pretty sick. Or worse.
In the worst case scenario – and we see it more often than we wish we did – your heat exchanger cracks. This is the part of the furnace that actually warms the air that moves through your house. This is where the carbon monoxide leaks from. And, as you probably know, it’s a severe health risk.
People with carbon monoxide poisoning experience anything from dizziness and nausea to loss of consciousness or even death. And, it’s a colorless, odorless gas. You won’t know it’s there without a CO detector.
Fortunately, regular maintenance and a pre-season tune-up will detect that type of furnace failure. The heat exchanger is on the inside of the system where you can’t see it. But, a trained HVAC tech checks CO levels during a pre-season check. This is the most important part of our process. We take your family’s safety very seriously.
Meanwhile, the cleaning removes the dirt, dust and tiny contaminants that can make you sick and leave a fine layer of duct on every flat surface in your home. Dust mites, pollen, bacteria and even mold spores are always floating in the air. Since we mostly keep our windows tightly closed in the winter, these contaminants become trapped in the house and build up over time. They can trigger everything from sore throats and itchy eyes to asthma attacks.
An hvac tune-up increases energy efficiency
Getting your heater cleaned and checked is kind of like an oil change or a tune-up for your car. Plainly put, it makes the machinery run more efficently. And when it runs more efficiently, it consumes less energy, lowering your energy bill.
There are a lot of parts at play in a furnace: belts, blowers, filters and other precision parts. Each one of these affects how well the machine runs. And, when it’s not running well, you can generally manage it at the thermostat, but as I mentioned earlier, it will hit you right in the bill every month.
In some cases, the problem is that a worn-out or broken part requires the whole system to use more energy. If the air filter is dirty, for instance, the unit has to use more power to push the air through.
A good pre-season clean and check prevents that. Our technician will make sure each component is in perfect working condition. That could mean replacing a part or two or just cleaning or lubricating them. A few minor adjustments will help your heater run better while using less energy.
Save money in the winter with a pre-season heater clean and check
Sure, having an HVAC technician come out to your house will cost you a few bucks, but the cost is nominal when compared to the cost of an unforseen breakdown. When you think about the money you’ll save thanks to that visit, you’ll see that it’s more than worth the investment.
The reason we’re writing about this today is pretty simple; this time of year between the heat of summer and the cold of winter, Hoffman Estates, IL area homeowners have a money-saving opportunity, because contractors like Compass Heating & Air Conditioning are generally not super busy.
But you and I both know that will change soon enough, practically overnight! Once we and all the other local contractors become busy, we lose the flexibility we have at this time of the season, so please take advantage while you can and save a few bucks!
Clean-And-Check And Furnace Repair In Hoffman Estates, IL
For over a decade, Compass Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. has been the trusted name for clean-and-checks, HVAC maintenance and service, and furnace repair in Hoffman Estates, IL. Call (630) 504-8688 or schedule your appointment online.