How Often You Should Service Your Heater

Today’s homes are fortunate enough to have modern electrical appliances and devices that keep your home safe and comfortable year-round. Your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit will function to keep you warm during the cold season and keep you cool and comfortable during the sweltering summer heat. So, it is imperative that your heating and cooling unit is always serviced and properly maintained to ensure it operates optimally.

One of the major components of your HVAC system is the heater or furnace. The heater features plenty of pipes, valves as well as moving parts that all need to be serviced and maintained regularly for it to function at peak levels. Sadly, most homeowners don’t always pay much attention to the maintenance needs of their heaters. So, how regularly should you have your furnace serviced to ensure that everything is just fine?

Every home’s heating needs are definitely different and this means that two homes can have completely different types of heating equipment. There are two major types of heating units, including gas-powered and electric-powered heaters. However, despite the differences in the type of furnaces and HVAC units, the general rule of thumb is to have your heater serviced and properly maintained at least once every year.

There are several reasons why you may be obliged to have your heater serviced more regularly. Not only does routine heater repair and maintenance help keep potentially life-threatening situations at bay, but also ensures your heater is working at its peak efficiency, reducing your monthly energy bills significantly. What’s more, by having a regular heater service, you minimize the likelihood of reduced airflow or leaky duct work issues happening. This will give you the much-needed peace of mind knowing your heater unit is in tip-top shape. Well-maintained furnaces are equally free from common contaminants such as pollen, debris, dust, pet dander, mildew, and bacteria, implying that you’ll benefit greatly from improved air quality inside your home.

So, how do you know if your heater requires maintenance service?

As earlier explained, you should have your heater examined at least once every year. However, this doesn’t necessarily imply that you shouldn’t have it maintained any time in between. There are several signs and symptoms that you need to watch out for to establish whether your heater needs immediate examination or not, including:

• Your bills have suddenly skyrocketed: This is usually the first telltale sign that your heating system is in dire need of maintenance. If you have just realized that your monthly energy bills have dramatically increased, the chances are high that your heating and cooling units are to blame. You’ll need to act fast and contact your local heater repair technician to examine it and diagnose the problem.
• The heater experience trouble staying on throughout the day: This particular heater problem may be caused by a number of issues including problems with the system’s wiring setup. If your furnace cycles turn off and on, don’t hesitate to contact your local technician to come and solve the problem.
• Uneven heating: When some parts of your home are getting warmer compared to other rooms, the chances are high that something is terribly wrong with your furnace’s heating power or the blower fan. Uneven heating is an issue you shouldn’t ignore as well, and you’ll have to call your local heater  repair professional for immediate diagnosis of the entire heating unit.
• The furnace not starting: A heater that doesn’t start up as expected obviously has some form of safety problems involved, including a faulty ignition, a gas leak, and any other similar problem that could potentially constitute a threat to the safety of your home. When this occurs, you’ll have to contact your local heater expert immediately.