November 8, 2012
Fall is a great time for preventive maintenance on the furnace in your southeastern Virginia home. The old saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" applies to HVAC systems as much as it applies to other areas in life. If you stop a furnace problem before it starts, you can save money on costly repairs.
Fall is the perfect time to perform maintenance on your furnace. By tuning up your heating system and inspecting it for problems before you actually need it, you can avoid being without heat when it really gets cold. You can also avoid the long waits and sometimes higher prices that come with scheduling repairs during one of the HVAC business's busy seasons. Some preventive maintenance can be done as a DIY project, while some are better left to the pros. Changing the furnace filter, for example, can be done by most homeowners. Although a simple step, it's probably one of the most important maintenance tasks. Not only will a clean air filter improve the air quality in your home, but it will also improve your furnace's efficiency. A dirty filter blocks the flow of air to the furnace, forcing it to work harder to heat your home. When it works harder, it draws more energy and your energy bill goes up. As for the preventive maintenance jobs you want to leave to the pros, one of the most important is checking your heat exchanger for cracks or leaks. A cracked heat exchanger can give off carbon monoxide -- a deadly, odorless and invisible gas. Another important check involves your electrical connections. They should be inspected and tightened if necessary to ensure that they're working properly and aren't fire hazards. During a preventive maintenance visit, the technician will also check the flue for obstructions, flush drain lines, clean the furnace burners and more. Customers of Dominion Virginia Power who have a heat pump system may be eligible for a rebate of $ 90.00 per system. Contact us for more information. For more information about what to expect during a preventive maintenance visit or for any other HVAC questions, contact Russell's Heating and Cooling. We've proudly served Hampton Roads-area homeowners since 1977. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Chesapeake, Virginia and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about preventive maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide. Image courtesy of Shutterstock
