Furnace Maintenance

Like all home appliances, even your heating system needs some maintenance now and then. You don’t want to face an unexpected cold front with a furnace you aren’t 100% confident in. That’s a great way to get stuck shivering in your home with no heat!

Max Air encourages all our customers to have your heaters maintained before you need them most. One an expert is able to evaluate and adjust your system, you’ll get more out of your furnace and you can rest easy knowing you’ll stay warm all winter long. Make sure your furnace is ready for winter and schedule a tune-up today!

Furnace maintenance is a preventive measure to protect your heating system and allow it to operate correctly. Similar to how a car needs an oil change, your furnace or heater needs regular tune-ups to keep them working at an optimal level.

If you want to save money both on repairs and on electricity, it’s important to schedule a tune-up at least twice a year. Preferably, you’ll want to schedule these tune-ups at the beginning of spring and fall. This is an ideal time frame because of the weather change that arrives with these seasons. As the seasons change you’ll want to make sure your furnace or heater is ready to face whatever is thrown at it.

Why Regular Furnace Maintenance is Important

Most furnaces last anywhere between 15 and 20 years. If you want to make sure your furnace gets closer to that 20-year mark, then it’s important to schedule a tune-up at least twice a year. Regular tune-ups can extend your furnaces life by a large margin.

During a furnace or heater tune-up, our HVAC specialist will check all key components of the unit. This check-up allows technicians to catch small problems before they become big ones. More often than not, some of these issues start as bad wiring or unkept parts. A good cleaning and replacing of any faulty components can prevent these issues from evolving into something as drastic as a complete system breakdown or replacement.

Maintenance also keeps the furnace running much more efficiently. An efficient furnace is going to use far less energy, resulting in a smaller energy bill. A maintained HVAC system is also going to move cleaner air. If your furnace is running at a higher quality, then you can expect your home’s air quality to be better as well. If you are ready to start saving money on that energy bill, then it’s time to schedule a tune-up with Max Air.

What Is Included In A Furnace Tune-Up?

Furnaces are complex machines with lots of moving parts. During a tune-up, there is a lot of ground to cover.

Some steps you can expect our HVAC professionals to take include:

Inspecting the vent system and removing any blockage
Checking the heat exchanger
Cleaning the blower
Inspecting all electrical connections
Examining belts for signs of damage
Checking the burner and flame sensor
Calibrating the thermostat
Lubricating all moving parts
Testing the systems safety controls
Checking the fuel lines
Testing the gas pressure and the pilot
Checking the thermocouple.

What Maintenance Can I do?

You don’t need a professional to do all the maintenance on your heating system. There are some steps you can take yourself throughout the year to keep your heating system running longer and more efficiently. One of the most important things you can do, regardless if you have a heater or furnace, is changing the air filters in your home.

Air filters are made to catch unwanted dust and dirt entering your home. Over time, these filters are going to build up a lot of dust and become less efficient. Your heating system will have to work harder to blow air through the dirty filter, using more electricity and raising your energy bill. Changing your air filters every couple of months will keep your heating system from working too hard and raise your home’s air quality to a healthy level.

What else can you do to maintain your heating system? While heaters and furnaces ultimately do the same thing — keeping your home warm — they do it in very different ways. This means that they require different kinds of maintenance. Here are some maintenance tips for heaters and furnaces.

Heater

Clean the Area Around Your HVAC Unit

While HVAC units are designed to take on the elements, they aren’t completely invincible. If debris gets caught inside of the unit, it can become a costly problem. Avoid this issue by keeping the area around your unit clean. Cut bushes and limbs around the unit, sweep dirt around it, and remove anything that might be on top of the unit. If you happen to notice a lot of debris has fallen into the unit, don’t hesitate to schedule a tune-up with Max Air so we can safely remove all debris.

Check Your Evaporator Coil Drain Pipe and Drain Pan

Every AC unit has a drain pipe that leads outside of the home and nearby is a drain pan. Since we live in a fairly humid area, you’ll find that mold and algae can build up in the pipe and drain pan quickly. Over time, these growths can potentially cause clogs. If you aren’t sure where your drain pipe or drain pan is, have one of our HVAC technicians show you the next time you are having an inspection. They can also give you some tips on how to properly clean it.

Furnace

Clean the Burner

The burner creates the flame in the furnace by burning gas. Due to the combustion of gas, it’s very easy for soot to build up inside the furnace. It’s important to regularly check the burner and clean it. Before cleaning it, make sure you turn off the power and gas to the furnace. Remove the cover panel to access the furnace’s interior and vacuum out any soot or other debris.

Inspect the Flue Pipe

It’s important to make sure the exhaust flue is in top condition or it could leak carbon monoxide, especially where the pipe and furnace connect. If you notice smaller holes, they can be patched with foil tape. If you notice large holes or any corrosion, then the flues will need to be replaced.

If you feel uncomfortable doing any maintenance yourself then don’t hesitate to contact the pros here at Max Air. Furnaces and heaters are complicated machines and sometimes things are just best left to the experts. Luckily, our team is always up to the task!

A Team You Can Trust

When you need a furnace tune-up our experts know how to keep your heating system efficient and safe. Keep that winter chill at bay with help from Max Air’s home heating services. From comfort adjustments to preventative repairs, we can help your home heating system run at its optimal performance. We have been servicing the entire Dallas – Fort Worth area for over 20 years and we’re ready to help you with all of your heating needs.

Not located in the Dallas – Forth Worth area? Not to worry – we also proudly serve these areas:

If you’re interested in hassle-free heater tune-ups, check out our Shield of Protection membership program. Remembering to schedule your yearly appointments has never been easier with our team at your side! Contact us to schedule your tune-up appointment or to get more helpful information from our customer service representatives!

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