With the arrival of autumn, homeowners are switching from air conditioning use to heater use as a means of keeping their households comfortable. That usage is only going to increase in the coming weeks until it hits daily use in most cases. Now is the time to schedule heating maintenance service for your forced-air furnace to help it perform at its best this winter. Not only could this save a great deal of money, it can also prevent an emergency this winter.
What Is It?
Regular maintenance differs from repairs in that it is not intended to address a specific problem. Instead, maintenance deals with multiple smaller issues that combine to rob the system of efficiency, as well as checking for things that aren’t a problem now, but could cause some major issues if left untreated. For instance, if a bolt breaks loose after it has worn out, it could cause a major component to rattle in its housing. The stress and strain could hasten a breakdown, forcing repairs to replace the broken part. Routine maintenance gives the technician a chance to notice the problem and replace the bolt instead: preventing the breakdown from occurring in the first place.
For small issues like that, regular maintenance is enough to correct them, and includes things like replacing worn down bolts and switching out clogged filters. Sometimes, more formal repairs are needed, in which case the technician can schedule them at the homeowner’s convenience. (In many cases, the repairs can take place immediately.)
What Kind of Benefits Does This Bring?
The obvious benefits come when the technician catches potential issues early. Not only does that likely save money on repairs, since the problem hasn’t had as much time to spread, but it allows the homeowner to choose the time and the place for repairs. That means they can set it up without having to rearrange their schedule instead of forcing them to react in the face of an unexpected breakdown (which usually occurs in the middle of a cold front when proper heating is desperately needed).
But the benefits go far beyond that. By correcting all of those little issues like loose fittings and frayed wires, annual furnace maintenance cuts down on overall wear and tear in the systems. That means the furnace can do its job more efficiently: using less fuel and lowering those high monthly heating bills in the bargain.
But it goes further than that. By applying furnace maintenance regularly over time–say once a year or so–the system suffers less overall wear as it works. That in turn can improve its longevity and increase its lifespan by months or even years in many cases. Considering how expensive it can be to replace a heating system, the savings entailed by regular furnace maintenance can be immeasurable.
For homes in the Pelham, NY area that could benefit from furnace maintenance this fall, just call on the friendly professionals at Yost & Campbell Heating, Cooling & Generators today to set up an appointment!