Winter is going full blast and we still have at least a few more weeks of seriously cold weather before it begins to warm up again. You’ll need your heating system to function at its best in that time, which is why now is an excellent opportunity to schedule a maintenance session for your system. Ideally, such sessions should take place before heating season starts, at least once a year. But if you haven’t done so, then scheduling a tune-up now makes all kinds of sense.
What It Involves
A tune-up or maintenance session isn’t the same as a repair call. Repair calls are conducted when your heater is experiencing a specific problem interfering with its ability to function. But there are countless other things that accrue over time that can affect your heating system. Bolts can loosen, wires can become frayed, filters need changing, burners can get clogged. All of these issues are inevitable, and yet none of them merits a repair call on their own.
Maintenance sessions are designed to address that. The technician will tighten fittings; replace older screws and similar parts that may have worn out; clean the filters; unclog burners; check the ignition system;; examine wires and other electrical components; lubricate moving parts; and finally run the system for 15-20 minutes and ensure that everything is working the way it should. If more repairs are needed, the technician will be able to spot the signs and can speak to you about your options before making plans to get them addressed.
The Benefits
The benefits of a maintenance session are numerous, but boil down to three basic points:
- Efficiency. Loose bolts, dirty filters and other little issues will force your heater to work harder than it needs to in order to do its job. That means higher bills every month as the heater must expend more energy to do its job.
- Longevity. Maintenance sessions help reduce the impact of wear and tear on your system. When applied regularly over time, it can help increase the lifespan of the system overall: helping you get the most out of your heater.
- Repairs. When repairs are needed, the sooner you can address them the better. If left unchecked, the issue in question could result in a serious breakdown just when you least expect it, forcing you to scramble to make repairs, That comes on top of any additional damage that may be inflicted by being unable to spot it. A maintenance session, on the other hand, gives you the luxury of time, enabling you to schedule repairs on your schedule rather than reacting to the unexpected. That can also reduce the cost of repairs, since you’re catching the issue sooner rather than later.
If you haven’t scheduled a maintenance session yet this year, now is a good time to do so. It will allow you to take advantage of the benefits detailed above immediately, and give your heating system a big leg up in preparation for next winter.
Call Clean Air Act, Inc. today for heating maintenance services in Tigard, OR.